Our Dysfunctional Family
by Allen the Musician
Summary: Extremely AU! What would life be like if Cross, Mana and the 14th all had kids? Fairly chaotic... and that's putting it mildly. Sometimes fate has a way of playing cruel jokes on us all. Will they be able to survive parenthood and destroy the Earl? Maybe.
1. Children

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter One - Children

"So why the HELL did you summon me here?" General Cross Marian asked as he strode up the dusty path toward a large brick manor house in front of which stood a brown haired man who appeared to be in his late twenties.

"That's not very nice," the blond haired woman who was walking beside Cross said, slapping him lightly on the arm.

"It's alright Maria," the man said with a chuckle. "I know that's just the way that he is."

Mana Walker was completely used to these outbursts and he merely offered the group a smile. Then he turned to the teenager who was walking along behind Cross and Maria. "Chelsea's in the backyard. Trace, why don't you go and hang out with her?"

"Sure," the young boy said, nodding his head in Mana's direction. Trace Marian had short red hair, which stood up in unruly spikes and piercing blue eyes, which clashed with his hair color magnificently.

Mana, Cross and Maria all watched as the boy made his way around the house.

Then, once the boy was out of earshot, Cross once again whirled to face his brother in law. "So what was so important that I had to come out here right away?"

"There's someone that I want you to meet," Mana said, paying no attention to the slight note of irritation that was contained in the red haired man's voice.

He was used to the fact that Cross was almost always irritated over something and had learned to ignore it.

"And who might that be?" Cross demanded, a gleam in his one visible red eye.

"Just go into the sitting room and be patient," Mana said, offering Cross a smile that he knew would only further the man's irritation. "He should be here soon."

Cross muttered complaints under his breath but, after yet another reproachful look from his wife, he followed Mana's instructions and began walking toward the house.

For which Mana was grateful because he hadn't relished the thought of fighting with him; that never worked out well.

"Now all I have to do is wait for Nicholas," Mana thought to himself, his heart beginning to pound. This meeting was dangerous due to the fact that a secret war was being waged and his brother and brother-in-law were on opposite sides.

But purely on a technical scale. After meeting his wife and becoming a father Nicholas had decided that there really was something in the world worth saving and was now planning to betray his surrogate family.

Which was why Mana wanted to introduce him to Cross; perhaps together the two men would have the necessary skills to defeat the Millennium Earl. Or at least that was what Mana was hoping for.

"I really hope that this goes well," the young man thought to himself with a sigh. He desperately wanted to help his brother escape the world that he had became involved with and hoped that Cross would be able to help.

He also hoped that Nicholas would allow them to help him.

"Mana!"

Mana's thoughts were interrupted and he turned as he heard the sound of a young voice calling out to him. A smile spread across his face as he watched a small brown haired child run toward him. His little nephew Allen looked a great deal like his father, right down to his stormy gray eyes. The child's father Nicholas was walking along behind him, at a much slower pace and arm in arm with the child's mother, and Mana offered all three of them a smile.

The moment that Allen reached his uncle the little boy wrapped his arms around the man's legs.

"Welcome," Mana said, smiling down at the little boy. "I'm glad that the three of you could make it."

"You said that it was important," Nicholas said, removing his top hat and running a hand through his mahogany hair. As always the Noah was formally dressed and he looked as though he were dressed for a fancy party. For her part Lyssa was dressed much more casually, in a simple dress of ice blue.

"Indeed it is," Mana said, nodding his head. "And we'll get down to business soon. But first…" Glancing over his shoulder Mana called out, "Chelsea!"

A couple of seconds passed before a young girl came running toward the spot where the others were standing. Appearing to be around the age of eight Chelsea had shoulder length brown hair, which curled slightly at the ends, and piercing green eyes.

"Hello Uncle Nicholas, Aunt Lyssa," Chelsea said politely as she came to stand beside her father. Then the little girl turned her gaze upward. "What is it Father?"

"Could you please take Allen to play with you and Trace?" Mana said, offering his daughter a smile. "The adults have some important things to discuss."

"Okay Father," Chelsea said, smiling brightly as she seized her little cousin by the hand. "Come on Allen!"

Allen pulled his hand free from Chelsea's grasp and gazed up at his father. Nicholas smiled and placed his hand on the young boy's head.

"It's alright Allen. You may go."

A smile appeared on the young boy's face and he followed along beside his cousin.

"Wow," Mana said as he watched his daughter and his nephew walking away. "Such a little gentleman."

Nicholas nodded as he watched his son depart. Lyssa had done a fine job instilling manners in their son and, although Allen occasionally forgot, he was for the most part obedient.

"So who exactly is Trace?" Nicholas asked once the two children had disappeared.

"Trace is my nephew on Callista's side," Mana replied. He had always strived to keep the two sides of his family separate, owing to his brother-in-law's occupation, so Nicholas didn't know anything about his wife's brother.

"I see," Nicholas said.

"Well come on," Mana said, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let us retire to the sitting room."

Nicholas nodded and together he and Lyssa followed along behind his brother. Both had curious expressions on their faces as they made their way toward the house.

Meanwhile, in the large backyard behind the manor house, three children were gazing at one another. Chelsea knew both boys, being related to both, however Allen and Trace had never met.

And there was a ten year age difference between them.

"Come on Allen," Chelsea coaxed the little boy who stood beside her. "Say hello to Trace."

Allen gazed up at the teenager, a somewhat timid expression in his stormy gray eyes. The little boy had little experience interacting with other children, owing to the isolated lifestyle of his parents, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do.

"You don't have to be scared kid," Trace said, sinking to his knees so that he could be at eye level with the little boy. "I won't bite."

Allen continued to gaze at the red haired boy for a few minutes before he held out his hand. "Hello," the little boy murmured.

Not sure what to think about a three year old offering to shake his hand Trace took the little hand that the child had offered. "It's a pleasure to meet you Allen."

"You need to lighten up Allen," Chelsea stated as she watched her two cousins shaking hands. The little boy had always acted older than his age of three and that bothered the girl to some extent. "Come on, let's play a game."

"What do you have in mind?" Trace questioned, one eyebrow arched as he gazed at the girl.

"Hide and seek," Chelsea suggested as her gaze shifted back and forth between the two boys.

"I'm not sure that's age appropriate," Trace said, not sure whether it was his age or Allen's that he had a problem with. Either way he didn't think that hide and seek was a game that they should be playing.

"Come on Tray," Chelsea said, a somewhat pleading tone in her voice. She batted her eyelashes as she gazed up into the face of the red haired teen. "Don't be like that. Let's play hide and seek."

Trace's gaze shifted back and forth between the two children for a few minutes before he was finally forced to nod his head. He knew that if he didn't play this game then he would never hear the end of it.

And it was just easier to give in to his cousin's demands.

"Fine," Trace said, a slight note of irritation in his voice. A tone that would have made his father proud had he been there to hear it.

"Yay!" Chelsea exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement. Then she turned green eyes back to Trace. "You're it! You're it!"

"Of course I am," Trace muttered, making no attempt to argue with her this time. After all it wasn't as though there was really anything that he could do about the situation. All he had to do was play this silly game and then he could get on with his life.

Or at least he thought so.

"Close your eyes and count to one hundred," Chelsea ordered, taking charge of the situation. There was a gleam in her green eyes that Trace would have noticed had he not chosen that moment to close his eyes.

And it would have sounded warning bells in his mind.

"One… two… three…"

"Come on Allen," Chelsea whispered as she seized the little boy by the hand and began leading him away. The game of hide and seek was just a ruse that she was using so that she could play a prank on Trace and she was planning on using Allen to make the prank twice as good.

Slightly confused Allen followed along behind his cousin, allowing Chelsea to lead him toward a large grove of trees located a few yards away. The little boy didn't know anything about the game they were supposedly playing and merely assumed that this was part of it.

Which worked out well for Chelsea's plan.

"He's going to freak out so badly," she thought to herself gleefully, imagining the look on Trace's face when he couldn't find either of them. Unfortunately she wouldn't be able to see this look but the young girl could vividly imagine it and that made her giggle.

Which made Allen gaze up at her with confusion in his large, gray eyes. "What funny?" the little boy asked in his soft edged voice.

"It's nothing Allen," Chelsea said, keeping her grip on the little boy's hand. She knew that she couldn't risk losing track of the little boy because that would cause her prank to seriously backfire.

Which would be decidedly bad.

* * *

"…ninety-nine… one hundred…" Having completed his counting Trace removed his hands from his eyes and gazed around. "Alright," the teen muttered to himself, his blue eyes still surveying his surroundings. "I'll look for Allen first. He's bound to be easier to find."

With this thought in mind Trace began to walk around the perimeter of the yard, leaning forward every so often so that he could look under the hedges. That seemed like the most likely place for the brown haired toddler to be hiding but there didn't seem to be any sign of Allen.

"Hmm," Trace thought to himself as he continued his search. Perhaps he hadn't given the little boy enough credit. "Perhaps he's better at this game than I thought."

Trace continued to walk and now his gaze was focused on a large building along the edge of the property, behind and slightly to the side of the manor house.

"Would he have gone into the carriage house?" Trace muttered as he walked toward the building. The stable and carriage house sat side by side and the red haired teen made his way toward them, wondering as he did so if the little boy had actually gone inside.

It seemed unlikely, as the doors were heavy and difficult to open, but perhaps Allen had found an alternate entrance. He was tiny after all and could crawl through spaces that adults could not.

"Allen," Trace called out as he pulled the door of the carriage house open and stepped inside. He was hoping that the kid didn't really know the rules of hide and seek and that he would answer the call of his name. "Are you in here kiddo?"

His calls were met with silence and, with a sigh, Trace began searching the building for signs of the toddler. He opened the door of the carriage and gazed inside but there was no sign of Allen so he moved on.

And as he continued to search Trace was forced to marvel at the fact that he had yet to find any signs of either child. He had expected to find Allen easily but that was not turning out to be the case.

And Trace was beginning to grow somewhat frustrated by this fact. He hadn't even wanted to play this stupid game and yet here he was, searching for two children. And having no luck at it.

"Why?" he muttered as he left the carriage house and made his way to the stable next door. "Why do things like this always happen to me?"

With a sigh Trace began searching the stables for any signs of either of the two children. And as he searched the teen began to get the feeling that perhaps this wasn't just a normal game of hide and seek.

It seemed that there was something more going on.

* * *

A couple of hours had passed, during which a tentative alliance had been formed between the two Exorcists and the Noah of Praise. Tensions were running high in the room but Mana was pleased that his brother had decided to join their side in the war against the Millennium Earl.

It was what he had been hoping for when he had organized this meeting.

"Honey," Maria said, her blue eyed gaze going to her husband. "I think that I'm going to go out and check on the children."

Cross nodded, knowing that his wife just wanted to see the little boy that belonged to the Noah. Maria was a sucker for small children; always had been.

"Make sure they're not causing any trouble," Mana said with a chuckle as Maria got to her feet and walked across the room.

"I will," Maria said, smiling.

After leaving the men in the sitting room Maria made her way out to the backyard. The blond haired Exorcist was fully expecting to find the group of children playing in the yard but this was not the sight that met her gaze as she stepped out of the house.

There was no sign of any of the children and Maria felt a chill run down her spine. In the troubling times that they lived in it wasn't safe for anyone to be out on their own, especially not children.

"Trace!" Maria called out, hoping that the children had just stepped around to the other side of the manor or something along those lines. "Chelsea! Allen! Where are you?"

Maria waited a few minutes but received no answer to her repeated calls to the three children. Getting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach Maria turned around and made her way back inside.

"Is something wrong Maria?" Mana asked as the blond woman stepped back inside the sitting room. There was a scared look in her eyes that alarmed him. "What is it?"

"I can't find the children," Maria said, her gaze shifting between the three men. "I called for them but they didn't answer."

Lyssa gasped, upset over the news that her little boy had disappeared. She turned concerned brown eyes toward her husband.

"We should probably go out and look for them," Nicholas said, getting to his feet.

Mana nodded his head in agreement and even Cross got to his feet, although he looked less than pleased.

Together the group of adults made their way out to the backyard and, just as they emerged from the manor, they caught sight of Trace walking away from the stables.

Alone.

"Trace!" Cross snapped, immediately gaining the attention of his son. The red haired teen quickly jogged over to the spot where the four adults were standing.

"Yes Father?"

"Your mother was calling for you," Cross said, his one visible eye focused on his son. "So why didn't you answer?"

"I'm sorry Mother," Trace said, his gaze going briefly to his mother before returning to his father. "I didn't hear her. I was in the stable looking for Chelsea and Allen."

"And why exactly are you looking for them?" Mana questioned.

"Chelsea conned me into playing hide and seek with them," Trace said, a slight note of irritation in his voice. "And now I can't find either one of them. I've looked all over the yard but they're nowhere to be found."

Mana's gaze immediately went to the large grove of trees, fairly certain that he knew why Trace couldn't find the two children.

"Don't worry," Mana said, placing his hand on Trace's shoulder. "We'll find them. You just wait here."

Trace couldn't help but think that the game had gotten out of hand as he watched the adults break into groups and begin searching the grove of trees. Mana, Lyssa and Nicholas chose one direction while Cross and Maria chose another and the four adults set out in search of the two children.

"It was just supposed to be a simple game," Trace thought to himself as he sat down to await their return.

As Cross pushed low hanging tree branches to the side he grumbled to himself about the situation. The red haired Exorcist wasn't at all happy about having to traipse through the forest looking for two small children who weren't even his.

"When I get my hands on them…" he muttered darkly as he followed a subtle trail. After tracking Akuma and the Millennium Earl this trail was blatantly obvious and Cross knew that he would find at least one of the missing children at the end of it.

After about fifteen minutes of searching Cross and Maria came upon a thick hedge. Walking quietly the two adults made their way around to the other side of the bush and there, sitting side by side, was Chelsea and Allen.

"There you are," Cross growled as his gaze fell upon the two children.

Allen made a soft little 'eep' sound as his gaze fell upon Cross and Chelsea felt like making the same noise. This hadn't been part of the plan; not by a long shot.

"Uncle Cross," she began in a small voice.

"Don't Uncle Cross me," the red haired man said as he continued to glare down at the children. "You know that you're not supposed to leave the yard."

Chelsea's green eyes widened; she hadn't even thought about the boundaries when she had led Allen into the grove of trees. She'd been too caught up with thinking about how great of a prank this would be.

Allen was somewhat frightened by this large man with the harsh sounding voice and he gazed up at Cross with large, tear-filled, gray eyes.

Cross was completely unimpressed by the child's tears but Maria took one look at the little boy and her heart melted. Pushing her husband aside she knelt down in front of the two children.

"It's alright," she said in a soft voice, reaching out and wiping a tear from Allen's cheek. "I won't let him hurt either of you. But everyone's worried so let's go back."

Chelsea nodded and got to her feet, offering Allen her hand as she did so. The little boy immediately latched onto the hand that was offered to him, holding on as though he were a drowning victim and it was his lifeline.

"You take them back," Cross growled, still irritated over the situation. "I'm going to go and find Mana and the others and tell them that we found the brats."

Maria nodded and then turned to Chelsea and Allen. "Come little ones. Let's go back."

* * *

Half an hour later the group was reassembled in the backyard and Mana was gazing down at his daughter, a stern expression in his brown eyes. "You know that you're not allowed to leave the yard. What were you thinking Chelsea?"

"I forgot," Chelsea said in a small voice, her downcast gaze focused squarely on her shoes. She didn't want to see the expression in her father's eyes. "It was just supposed to be a prank."

Mana opened his mouth to say something further to his daughter but he didn't get the chance. A shriek echoed through the air and all eyes turned toward the sky.

Where they saw an Akuma floating ominously.

"Damn it!" Cross swore as he pulled back the side of his coat to reveal a very large firearm. Gripping the handle of the gun the Exorcist General drew the weapon and aimed it squarely at the bird like level two Akuma.

"Judgment!"

Cross pulled the trigger of the gun and watched as a bullet sailed toward the Akuma. The creature managed to dodge the bullet at the last possible second but this didn't phase Cross in the slightest.

He merely smirked as he kept his gaze locked on the Akuma.

The creature made a move to attack but was stopped dead in it's tracks as the bullet, which had changed course, struck it in the back.

"My bullets never miss," Cross said as he watched the creature explode. He quickly holstered the weapon and then turned back to the others.

"I thought that we got rid of all of the Akuma in this area?" he growled, his voice still showing irritation.

"I think I know the reason why it appeared," Nicholas said, walking over to the spot where his son was standing and lifting the child up into his arms.

"Why?" Mana asked, his gaze shifting to his brother.

As though in reply to the question Nicholas grasped his son's left arm and gently pulled at the little white glove that covered the child's hand.

"No!" Allen whimpered, pushing at his father's hand.

"It's alright Allen," Nicholas said, his voice soothing as he spoke to his child. He knew that Allen didn't want anyone to see his left hand but he also realized that it was necessary. The others needed to know why the Akuma had attacked them. "It's all going to be okay little one."

Allen still didn't look happy about the situation, as was evident by the scared expression in his eyes, but he ceased his fighting and allowed his father to pull off the glove that covered his left hand.

The first thing that the adults saw when Nicholas removed the glove from his son's hand was the fact that his hand was a harsh red color. And the next thing they noticed was what really made an impression; a small green object that appeared to be embedded in the back of the child's hand.

"Innocence…" Cross, Maria and Mana all muttered as they gazed at the child's hand.

Tears appeared in Chelsea's eyes as she saw the little piece of green in her cousin's hand and she realized what could have happened if the Akuma had shown up even a half an hour sooner. "I'm sorry," the young girl sobbed, throwing herself against her father. "I didn't know."

"Shh," Mana said, rubbing his daughter's back in a comforting manner. "It's alright. But this is why we have the boundaries."

"I'll do better," Chelsea said, wiping at her eyes and gazing up at her father. "And I'll protect Allen."

A/N - and here's the first chapter of a VERY unusual fic. Hope that you enjoyed.


	2. The Games Continue

Disclaimer- I do not own DGM

Chapter Two - The Games Continue

"Alright," Mana said, patting his daughter on the shoulder. He could tell that his daughter was really upset over what had happened and he was willing to forgive her. "We're going to return to the sitting room and resume our discussion. Do you think that you three can behave yourselves?"

"Yes Father," Chelsea said.

"Alright," Mana said, choosing to take his daughter at her word. "Keep an eye on little Allen."

"Yes sir."

With one last glance at the three children the group of adults turned and made their way back inside the house. Then, the moment that the children had been once again left alone in the yard, Trace turned to Chelsea.

"That wasn't funny," he said, gazing at the young girl through narrowed eyes.

"It was from where I was standing," Chelsea retorted before her gaze shifted back to the toddler who stood at her side. "But I didn't know about Allen's Innocence at the time."

"You could have gotten yourselves killed you know."

"Shut up," Chelsea said, glaring at her cousin. "I know I screwed up, you don't have to keep reminding me."

Trace returned the glare. "Yes I do."

"Stop fighting!"

Both Trace and Chelsea ceased with their argument to gaze down at the brown haired child. Allen was gazing up at them with blazing gray eyes.

"Bossy little thing aren't you?" Trace said, his gaze focused on the child.

Allen shook his head. "No."

"Have it your way kid," Trace said with a shrug.

Allen continued to stare at the older boy for a few minutes before a smile spread across his face. "Play 'nother game."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

Trace held up his hands, having absolutely no desire to get involved in another game with the two children. The last one hadn't ended well for him as far as he was concerned and the red haired youth didn't wish for a repeat performance.

But Allen would not be denied. Reaching up he grabbed the older boy by the cuff of his shirt. "Play game!" the child insisted, gazing up at Trace with determined gray eyes.

"Come on Trace," Chelsea said, deciding to join in. Hopefully this would help to convince Trace to play along. It was always easier to get something when you tag-teamed someone. She knew that from experience. "We can play something besides hide and seek."

"Fine," Trace huffed, pulling his shirt free from Allen's grip. He knew when he was beaten and this was one of those times. "But this time I get to pick the game."

"Alright," Chelsea said. "That seems fair enough."

"Play game!" Allen exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement. It wasn't often that he had the opportunity to play with other children and he was enjoying himself, despite the earlier incident.

"Okay," Trace said, his blue eyed gaze shifting back and forth between the two younger children. "We're going to play tag this time around. And Chelsea, you get to be 'it'."

Chelsea groaned. She wasn't overly fond of tag but, with a quick glance to Allen, she decided that it might not be so bad this time. There was no way that her three year old cousin would be able to out run her so she nodded her head in agreement.

"Allen," Trace said, focusing on the toddler. "Tag is a really easy game. The person who is deemed 'it' has to run after the other players and touch them. That makes them 'it'. Got that squirt?"

"Not squirt," Allen said, narrowing his gray eyes.

"Fine," Trace said, shaking his head and staring down at the little boy. "You're not a squirt. So do you understand the rules?"

"Yes," Allen said with a nod.

* * *

Talk had turned to plans for spying on the Millennium Earl, which of course Nicholas would be in charge of. He was the only one who could get anywhere near the Earl with any degree of safety. The Noah knew that the job would be dangerous but he was resolved to do it.

To protect his family.

His real family.

"So we're going to meet regularly," Mana said, his gaze shifting back and forth between his brother and his brother in law.

At that moment Allen ran into the room where the adults were talking. He was 'it' and wanted desperately to get rid of that title. Unfortunately he hadn't been able to catch either Chelsea or Trace so the child decided on a new course of action. Running up to the red haired man he patted him on the knee with one hand, at the same time screaming, "You're IT!" This said Allen turned around and dashed out of the room as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"What the hell was that supposed to be?" Cross demanded, his gaze focused on the door.

"They're playing a game," Maria said, her gaze shifting to her husband. "And I think that you're supposed to give chase."

"The hell I…"

"Just humor the lad," Maria said, wishing that her husband didn't always have to be so difficult about things. It really wasn't that big of a deal and yet he had an irritated expression on his face.

Cross didn't want to play some silly child's game but the look on his wife's face left no room for argument. Getting to his feet he made a move to leave the room but, after a glance in the direction of the smirking Noah, abruptly changed his mind. Reaching down he grabbed the gun that was holstered at his side and, without so much as a warning, stepped over to Nicholas and cracked him over the head with it. "Now you're it… and you can't catch me Noah!"

And without so much as another word the red haired Exorcist fled from the room. Running as though he had debt collectors on his heels.

Growling low in his throat in annoyance Nicholas got to his feet and gave chase. There was absolutely no way that he was going to allow the Exorcist to get away with that little display.

"Oh I don't believe this," Lyssa said, shaking her head as she watched her husband rush out of the room.

"Come on," Maria said, getting to her feet. "We should probably go outside and make sure that the idiots don't hurt themselves."

Lyssa nodded her head in agreement and together the remaining adults made their way outside. As they exited the manor the sight that met their eyes was fairly amusing, even the irritated wives had to admit.

Cross and Nicholas were just taking turns hitting one another since neither managed to get very far before being very roughly 'tagged'. And it was obvious, by the expressions that marred each of their faces, that they were both beyond annoyed at this point.

For their part the three children were now standing around, their gazes all but glued to the two adults. After a few minutes Chelsea turned to Allen, who was gazing at the two adults just like she and Trace. And being unusually still for such a young child. There was confusion in the boy's gray eyes and he soon turned his gaze up to his cousin. "They not playing right." Chelsea nodded as she watched her two uncles. It had started out as an innocent game of tag but the two men seemed to have turned it into something personal. And neither was willing to admit defeat.

Lyssa heaved a sigh as she made her way out into the yard. She had endured all of this foolishness that she was going to and quickly seized hold of her husband's tuxedo jacket as he dashed past. The Noah was almost pulled off his feet and he turned to glare at his captor but quickly changed his mind once he realized who it was.

And noticed the look on her face.

"Ha!" Cross called out triumphantly, smirking in the direction of the Noah. "You are so whipped Noah."

Nicholas opened his mouth to snap back at the Exorcist but didn't get the chance.

Allen had been standing between Chelsea and Trace however he moved as he heard Cross' words. Now the child didn't understand the insult but he knew the tone. And didn't like it one bit. "I kick 'im."

Chelsea reached out to grab the boy but didn't react in time. "No wait Allen, that's not a good id..." This warning was cut short as the child walked over to the spot where Cross was standing and promptly kicked him in the shin. "Oh no, he did it anyway."

For a moment all Cross could do was stare dumbly down at the brown haired kid who had just had the nerve to kick him. Then his surprise turned to anger and he reached out toward the boy. However his hand was quickly seized as Nicholas shifted to his Noah form and snarled, "Do it and die Exorcist."

There was a harsh light shining in the Noah's golden eyes as he continued to glare at the Exorcist. Should Cross make a move to hurt his child then he would find out exactly how heartless that Nicholas could be.

Cross pulled his hand free and glared at Nicholas.

Standing off to the side all Mana could do was shake his head. "It was just supposed to be a meeting..." And yet now it looked as though the supposed allies were going to fight to the death in his back yard. Walking over to his brother and brother in law he roughly shoved them apart. "Act your ages. Am I the only adult here?"

"Yes," Chelsea commented from her spot a few feet away from the 'supposed' adults. Which of course earned her several glaring looks.

Shifting back into his normal appearance Nicholas clenched his hands into fists as he stared at the obnoxious red haired Exorcist. He desperately wanted to get even with the man for causing not only his wife but his brother to treat him like a child. He had barely tolerated such treatment when he was a child and was certainly not happy about it now. For his part Cross was still laughing, not the least bit bothered by Mana's words.

Growling low in his throat Allen marched back over to the man and promptly kicked him in the other shin.

"Allen!" Lyssa exclaimed while Nicholas smirked.

Nicholas was of the opinion that Cross deserved everything that he was getting. And, while part of him knew that he should discourage such actions by his son, the Noah simply couldn't bring himself to be angry with the child. In fact he was currently resisting the urge to tell the kid that he had done a good job.

That would be crossing a line and he knew it. But that didn't mean that the thought didn't cross his mind.

Lyssa placed her hands on her hips, alternating her glare of displeasure between her son and her husband. "Honestly Nicholas, could you at least try to look like you care that he just did that?"

"I could," the mahogany haired Noah said, a smirk on his face. "But that would be dishonest. And I don't want my son to get the impression that it's alright to lie."

"I swear," Lyssa said, wondering which of them was more of a hassle to deal with; her three year old son or his immature father.

And her answer was leaning toward her husband. Allen was still little but Nicholas really should know better.

He had no excuse.

Chelsea shook her head as she gazed at the adults. "I can't believe that our game of tag turned into this..."

"I believe it," Trace said, his gaze focused on his father. He still had a very prominent scowl on his face and Trace was actually amazed that he hadn't turned violent. After all, he'd seen the man set off over lesser things than being kicked in the shins twice by a toddler.

For his part Allen was still glaring at Cross, as though debating his next course of action.

"Allen Nicholas Walker!"

The child shifted his gaze in the direction of his mother. He was familiar with that tone and, much like his father, didn't like it. Hearing that tone of voice never boded well for him.

"Don't even think about it," she said, giving him a look of warning.

"That's too bad," Chelsea said, shaking her head as she gazed at her cousin. "Things were just getting interesting."

Nicholas actually secretly agreed with the words spoken by his niece. If Lyssa hadn't been there he would more than likely have allowed Allen to continue to torment the red haired Exorcist.

Because the look on his face was absolutely priceless.

Allen's gaze briefly went to his father and he noticed that the smirk was still on his face. It didn't seem that his father was angry with him for what he had done and this made the child want to ignore his mother's warning. It wasn't something that he did often but the child couldn't help himself this time. Surely if his father wasn't angry then it was okay. The little boy stood for a moment but then, the moment his mother's back was turned, he took a step toward Cross.

Trace's eyes widened. "He's isn't..."

Chelsea giggled as she continued to watch her cousin. "He is."

Sure enough Allen's small foot once again collided with Cross' shin, this time causing the Exorcist to swear loudly. Which of course alerted the child's mother to what had just happened. She opened her mouth to say something to her son but stopped as the sound of laughter reached her ears.

"Nicholas..."

The Noah's eyes widened. He knew THAT tone... it meant that there would be hell to pay later.

"I can't believe he just did that," Chelsea said between giggles. The girl was laughing so hard that she actually fell over, seizing Trace by the shirt sleeve and pulling him along with her.

All Mana could do was stare in disbelief. This had all started out as a serious meeting between the Exorcists and his brother and yet had somehow devolved into this. And it seemed painfully obvious at this point that he wasn't going to be able to resume the meeting. Cross was glaring as though he were ready to kill someone and Nicholas seemed to have gotten himself into more trouble than he was capable of handling.

"I really should have seen this coming..."

With one last glare directed at her husband Lyssa walked over to the spot where Mana was standing. She realized that this was supposed to be a serious meeting and she felt bad for her brother in law. "I'm sorry Mana but I think that it's time for us to be going."

"It's okay," Mana said, knowing that they weren't likely to accomplish anything else of use anyway. Mana gave Lyssa a brief hug. "I understand."

He really did understand and a small part of him felt sorry for his brother and nephew. Judging by the look on Lyssa's face they were both in a lot of trouble.

"Nicholas!" Lyssa snapped, turning away from Mana. "Get your son and let's go."

"This is worse than I thought," Nicholas muttered to himself as he walked over to the spot where Allen was standing and took the child by the hand. Gazing down into Allen's gray eyes Nicholas felt guilty for the first time. "Well Allen, you've reverted to being my son. Which means that we're both in a whole lot of trouble."

Allen tilted his head to the side as he gazed up at his father. "No."

"Oh yes," Nicholas said, leading the little boy across the lawn toward the spot where his wife was waiting. "Mother does not look happy."

Allen chanced a glance at his mother and the little boy flinched as he saw the angry expression on her face. It seemed, even to the little boy, that perhaps things had gone a little too far.

"Uh oh," the little boy said in a quiet voice as he and his father fell into step behind his mother.

"Uh oh's right little man," Lyssa said in a stern voice, turning her head and gazing at her son and husband over her shoulder. "We'll discuss your behavior once we get home."

Nicholas couldn't help but notice the expression that had appeared on his three year old son's face and it only made him feel more guilty. It hadn't been his intention to get Allen into even more trouble with his mother but that was exactly what had happened.

And for that he blamed the red haired Exorcist.

The trip back to the small house where Lyssa and her son lived was a very quiet one. Nicholas wanted to say something to calm her down but couldn't really think of what that something might be.

And Allen seemed to know that there wasn't really anything that he could say that would improve his situation. So he just walked along beside his father, his gray eyed gaze focused squarely on the ground in front of him.

When they arrived back home Lyssa unlocked the front door and then turned her attention back to the two of them. "Allen," she said, her voice stern as she addressed her son. "I want you to go into the parlor and sit on the sofa."

"Yes ma'am," Allen said softly, pulling his hand from his father's grip and hastily entering the house.

The moment that Allen was inside Lyssa closed the door and then glared at her husband. "I'm very upset with you right now. So you can go and join your son. I need a few minutes."

Nicholas opened his mouth to say something but then changed his mind. It would only make things worse and the Noah was already thinking hard about how he was going to manage to get back on her good side. Without a backwards glance Nicholas opened the door and stepped inside the house, closing the door behind himself.

The Noah made his way thought the small house to the parlor. His gaze focused on Allen the moment that he entered the room and he noted that the child looked absolutely miserable.

Nicholas sat down on the sofa beside his son, feeling decidedly like a little kid himself. And it was humiliating.

Which was exactly what Lyssa was going for. When she entered the room five minutes later she saw her husband and son sitting side by side on the sofa, both looking decidedly uncomfortable. Allen was squirming in his seat, having always found it difficult to sit still. And Nicholas just looked annoyed over the entire situation.

Both Allen and Nicholas gazed up at Lyssa as she entered the room, identical gray eyes locking onto her face.

"Lyssa…" Nicholas began but stopped when his wife held up her hand.

"I don't want to hear it Nicholas," Lyssa said, her voice stern as she gazed at her boys. "You both acted in a manner that I would not have expected and you're both going to listen to what I have to say."

Both Nicholas and Allen stared up at Lyssa, identical expressions on their faces. It seemed that both knew that it wouldn't be a good idea for them to open their mouths. But their eyes displayed their emotions. Father and son really were fairly similar and their expressions always drew attention to this fact.

Now that she was absolutely certain that she had their undivided attention Lyssa placed her hands on her hips. "Allen… I'm very disappointed in you. I never would have dreamed that you would behave like that toward someone…" The little boy's eyes widened but he didn't make a sound. "And Nicholas…" Lyssa turned her gaze to her husband. "I never would have dreamed that you would encourage such behavior. I expect better from you. And I had better never have to have this conversation with either of you again."

Lyssa paused with her lecture to gaze at the boys.

"Allen…" Lyssa paused to make absolutely certain that her son was paying attention. "For your punishment you're going to sit there for fifteen minutes and you aren't getting dessert tonight."

This served to bring tears to the child's eyes but he nodded as he fought not to cry.

"And Nicholas…" Lyssa said, turning her gaze back to her husband. "As for you, if you're staying with us tonight you're going to be sleeping on the sofa."

Nicholas' eyes widened in horror. He didn't get to spend a lot of time with his wife, owing to the fact that he couldn't allow the Earl to become suspicious. And tonight, one of the few nights that he actually got to stay with them, he was banished to the couch.

"It's not fair," he muttered under his breath.

A/N - end of chapter two and the boys are in trouble! Sucks to be them right now. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review! And special thanks to BlackCross1808 for the help that she gave me with this story.


	3. Bonding

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Three - Bonding

Once Lyssa had passed sentence on her husband and son she turned and left the parlor. She was still a little angry over the entire incident and hoped that both of her boys had learned their lesson. Because she didn't want a repeat of this situation ever.

Nicholas, not having been given a time out, quickly got to his feet and followed along behind her. Leaving his little boy sitting forlornly on the sofa.

"Lyssa," the Noah said, reaching out and grasping his wife by the arm. He gently spun her around so that he could look her in the eyes as he spoke. He realized that his actions had upset her and he was very much regretting them at the present moment. "I'm sorry okay. I realize that my look encouraged him to do that. But that was not my intention."

"But you laughed," Lyssa said, keeping her voice calm as she gazed at her husband. She didn't want Allen to realize that she and his father were fighting because that would further upset the child. "Your son kicked someone not once, not twice but three times and you thought it was funny."

"Well in my defense the Exorcist is an ass," Nicholas said, keeping his voice low enough to keep their son from hearing his words.

"Nicholas Walker," Lyssa said, narrowing her brown eyes. "I swear if our son learns any of those colorful words that you've grown fond of you will regret it."

Sensing that he was not making his situation any better Nicholas held up his hands. "I promise that I won't swear around Allen."

"You'd better not," Lyssa said, turning away from her husband and signaling an end to the conversation. "And you're still sleeping on the sofa tonight."

Nicholas' face fell as he realized that his apology hadn't improved his situation any. He had hoped that it would make Lyssa forgive him however it was looking as though that forgiveness was going to be a little harder to achieve.

"Note to self," the Noah silently mused as he watched Lyssa walk away. "Never do anything like that again."

* * *

"I can't believe this," Nicholas muttered as he shifted his position on the sofa. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable place that he'd ever slept but that wasn't really the part that annoyed him. "Treated like a child twice in one day."

And, as though that weren't insult enough, now he was sleeping on the sofa in the parlor. He could have just returned to the Ark but being in the same house as his family was better than being away from them. Even if his wife was angry with him.

And Lyssa was definitely angry with him.

"That really was a stupid move," the Noah thought to himself, finally managing to get semi-comfortable on the sofa. With a sigh Nicholas closed his eyes and attempted to sleep.

This was short lived however as he suddenly heard the sound of someone entering the room. Thinking that perhaps Lyssa had decided to take pity on him Nicholas opened his eyes and gazed toward the door.

The room was slightly illuminated by the moonlight that was shining in through the window and Nicholas saw that his visitor wasn't Lyssa. It was, in fact, Allen.

"What in the world…" Nicholas thought to himself as he watched the little boy slowly walking across the room. Allen had been put to bed several hours earlier and shouldn't be up wandering around the house at this time of night.

Which made Nicholas think that perhaps something was wrong with the little boy.

Allen walked over to the sofa where his father was lying and crawled up beside him. Lying on his side the little boy snuggled close to Nicholas, completely shocking his father. Since he wasn't around all that much Allen had never been overly affectionate toward him. And Nicholas couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face as he listened to the child's breathing even out.

Allen had fallen asleep.

Nicholas briefly debated whether or not he should take Allen back to his own bed. But in the end he decided against that course of action. "If he wants to sleep here then I suppose that's fine with me."

* * *

"Maybe I shouldn't have been so hard on my boys," Lyssa thought to herself as she got to her feet. It seemed strange to know that Nicholas was in the house and yet awake to an empty bed.

Pulling on her robe Lyssa decided to go and check on her husband.

Lyssa made her way down the hallway to the parlor and, as she stepped inside the room, she couldn't keep a smile from spreading across her face. Nicholas was lying on the sofa, seemingly sound asleep, and Allen was curled up against his chest. Lyssa had no idea when the child had decided to join his father but the scene was absolutely adorable. Nicholas had one arm wrapped around the boy in a protective manner.

"That's the cutest thing I've ever seen," Lyssa whispered to herself, her brown eyes locked onto her boys.

At the sound of his wife's whispered comment Nicholas opened one gray eye. He hadn't really been asleep but had merely been waiting to find out what his wife's reaction would be. Because if Lyssa was still angry with him then he had decided to continue to feign sleep for as long as possible.

"Faker," Lyssa said, her voice still quiet. She didn't want to speak too loudly for fear of waking her son. It was obvious that Allen was still asleep because, had he been awake then he would have been bouncing around.

The child had difficulty remaining still for any length of time.

Gazing over at his wife Nicholas offered her a roguish smile. Which she quickly dismissed. "I'm still angry with you."

"Oh come on," Nicholas said, opening his other eye and gazing plaintively over at his wife. He couldn't believe that she was still angry with him even after making him spend the night on the sofa. "Haven't I suffered enough?"

"That remains to be seen Nicholas," Lyssa said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at her husband. Fire snapped in her brown eyes as she focused a reproachful gaze on the father of her child. "Do you think you've learned your lesson?"

"Yes," Nicholas replied without hesitation.

"Not sure I believe you," Lyssa said, taking in not only his single word reply but also the tone of his voice. "But we'll see."

The Noah opened his mouth to say something further to his wife but paused as he felt the small body that was nestled beside him begin to stir. Gazing down at the child, Nicholas watched as Allen's eyes slowly opened and he offered the little boy a smile. "Good morning."

"Morning!" Allen exclaimed, sitting up quickly and throwing his small arms around his father's neck.

Lyssa couldn't help but laugh at the startled expression that had appeared in Nicholas' eyes. He was completely shocked by Allen's attack and she found it absolutely hilarious.

"Is he always this happy first thing in the morning?" Nicholas asked as he pried the small arms from around his neck. Pulling himself to a sitting position Nicholas stretched his arms up over his head.

"Always," Lyssa said with a nod. She was enjoying the sight of her husband and son together and decided that the two of them needed to spend a little time bonding together. After all, Allen didn't get to see his father nearly enough. "Tell you what, why don't you entertain your son for awhile and I'll make breakfast?"

"Alright," Nicholas said at the same time that Allen exclaimed, "Breakfast!"

Still smiling softly to herself Lyssa left the parlor and made her way into the kitchen, leaving her boys alone.

"Looks like he's recovered from yesterday," Nicholas thought to himself as he continued to gaze down at his son. He'd expected for Allen to be a little more subdued after having gotten in trouble yesterday but it seemed as though the child had completely forgotten about it. "If only Lyssa had forgotten about it…." the Noah mused silently to himself.

"Father…"

Emerging from his thoughts Nicholas saw that Allen was holding up a book. Reaching out he took the book from the child, noticing as he did so that there was a bright picture of a dog on the front cover of the book. "You want me to read to you?" he asked the little boy.

"Yep!" Allen exclaimed with a bright smile, climbing up and settling himself on his father's lap.

"Alright then," Nicholas said, opening the book and holding it so that Allen could see the pictures. Clearing his throat slightly the young man began to read. It seemed odd to the Noah to be sitting around reading some silly little story to his three year old son but he found that he enjoyed the feeling. Odd though it may be. A small smile spread across his face as Allen snuggled against his chest, listening raptly as he read.

* * *

Placing the last of the plates on the table Lyssa took off her apron and tossed it aside. It felt wonderful to actually be making breakfast for her entire family since it was usually just her and Allen. "Guess I should get my boys…"

With this thought in mind Lyssa left the kitchen and made her way back to the parlor. Stepping inside Lyssa felt a smile once again spread across her face as her searching gaze fell upon her husband and son. Nicholas and Allen were nestled together on the sofa and Nicholas was reading a story to the child.

Nicholas gazed up as his wife entered the room and he saw the smile on her face. "You're beautiful when you smile like that," he said as he closed the book.

"And you're not going to get back on my good side like that," Lyssa retorted, the smile still firmly in place. In truth the comment had served to relieve some of her anger but she wasn't about to let him know that. "Come on boys, time for breakfast."

"Breakfast!" Allen immediately jumped from his father's lap and dashed out of the room.

"Come on Nicholas," Lyssa said, shaking her head and chuckling softly. "If we want breakfast then we should probably hurry. Or else your son will eat everything before we get there."

Placing the book that he had been reading to his son on the sofa Nicholas got to his feet. A roguish smile appeared on his face as he walked over to Lyssa and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Unable to resist Lyssa linked her arm in his. "We shall… but I'm still angry with you."

Nicholas' smile faltered somewhat but he recovered quickly. "Well then I suppose I'll have to work on that."

Nicholas and Lyssa made their way down the hallway to the kitchen, where they found their three year old son already sitting at the table. The child turned his gaze toward his parents as they entered the room, a broad smile on his face.

"Looks like someone's ready for breakfast," Lyssa commented as she sat down in the chair that was located beside her son.

"Oh really?" Nicholas said, taking the chair on Allen's other side. "And who might that be?"

"Me!" Allen exclaimed.

* * *

After breakfast Lyssa left Allen with his father so that she could travel to a nearby town for some supplies. Of course the Noah argued that he should be the one to go and get the supplies but Lyssa shot that idea down very quickly.

Standing outside the small home where Lyssa lived with their son, Nicholas gazed at his wife intently. "I really think that I should be the one to go on this little errand."

"You can't do it because if one of your 'siblings' sees you then they're going to wonder what you're doing." Lyssa placed her hands on her hips, wondering why her husband was being so difficult.

"But…" Nicholas began.

"Nicholas." Lyssa gazed at her husband and saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before. Fear. "What is wrong with you?"

Nicholas' gaze shifted briefly to the child who was playing a few feet away from them. "You've never left me alone with him before… I don't know what to do."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Lyssa said with a smile. Then, without so much as another word, Lyssa turned and began walking away.

"Mother!"

Lyssa turned and watched as her son ran toward her. Leaning forward she scooped the little boy up into her arms and gave him a hug. "I have to go and get some supplies Allen… you're eating us out of house and home."

"Wanna go," the little boy said.

"Sorry sweety." Lyssa gave her son another squeeze before she placed him back on his own two feet. "You're going to stay here with your father. I'm sure the two of you will have fun together."

Allen turned to glance at his father and then, without warning, ran toward the man. The small boy wrapped his arms around Nicholas' legs, which effectively prevented his father from moving.

"Good job Allen," Lyssa said with a smile. "Now you make sure that your father behaves himself alright?"

"'Kay!" Allen exclaimed brightly.

"You've got to be kidding me?!" Nicholas exclaimed as he watched his wife make her way down the path that led away from the house. "Lyssa…"

"Have fun Nicholas!" Lyssa waved over her shoulder, chuckling softly to herself as she imagined the expression that must be on Nicholas' face right now. It was true that she had never left the two of them alone for any great length of time but Lyssa was certain that it would be okay. "I'm sure that Allen can keep his father out of trouble… and hopefully Nicholas can do the same for his son."

Nicholas watched as his wife walked away and then his gaze shifted back down to the child who was clinging to his legs. "Alright Allen, you can let go now."

"No!" the child chirped without missing a beat.

"Allen…" A slight note of warning had appeared in the Noah's voice.

"No!"

"Okay, that's it!" Allen's eyes widened slightly as he heard these words and he gazed up at his father nervously. Leaning forward Nicholas scooped the child up into his arms and, before Allen could do anything about the situation, he began to tickle the little boy's side.

"Stop!" Allen called out in between giggles. "Not funny…"

"Oh really?" Nicholas said, a grin spreading across his face as he continued his tickle torture. "You're laughing awfully hard over something that's not funny."

"Not funny… Not funny…" And yet the child couldn't manage to bring his uncontrolled laughter to a halt.

"Shall we call a truce then?" Nicholas asked, gazing into the gray eyes of the child. Eyes that were an exact match for his own.

Allen nodded his head.

"Okay truce," Nicholas said, placing the child back on the ground. "So what shall we do now that your mother has left us to our own designs?"

"Play a game!" Allen exclaimed, his gray eyes bright as he gazed up at his father. "Hide and seek!"

"Oh no," Nicholas said, shaking his head. He could vividly picture having to explain to his wife the fact that he had managed to lose their son. This caused him to visibly shudder. Her reaction to that would be beyond anger and wasn't something that he wished to experience. "There's absolutely no way that I'm going to play hide and seek."

A slight pout appeared on Allen's face and he gazed up at his father pitifully.

"That's not going to work," Nicholas said. "But I tell you what, how about you and I find some other game to play?"

The smile quickly returned to the little boy's face. "'Kay!"

Nicholas sighed, having successfully defused that situation. "Maybe I really can do this," he thought to himself.

"Nicholas!"

The Noah's attention shifted from his child and settled upon his brother. Mana was walking down the path that led to the house, flanked on either side by a child. Chelsea was walking along on her father's right side while Trace was walking on the left.

"Uncle Mana!" Allen's face brightened even more as his gaze fell upon their group of visitors. It wasn't often that anyone came to visit, owing to a magical barrier that Nicholas had erected around the house where his family lived.

Of course Mana knew how to breech the barrier. Nicholas vaguely wondered what had brought his brother to this remote location, not to mention why he had felt the need to bring the two children.

"What's up?" he asked as his brother and the two children came to a stop a few feet from the spot where he and Allen were standing. There was a questioning look in his gray eyes as he gazed at Mana, beyond curious at this point.

"I need a favor and I don't have much time to discuss it," Mana said quickly, his gaze focused squarely on his younger brother. "I need you to watch the kids."

"What?" Nicholas couldn't believe the words that had just escaped his brother's mouth. He had been nervous about being left alone with his own child and was fairly certain that he couldn't handle three of them.

"Please Nicholas," Mana said. "I have an important errand to run and I can't take them with me."

"So where's everyone else?" Nicholas demanded.

"Calli and Maria are gone for the day," Mana replied, referring to his wife and Trace's mother. "And Cross had something that he had to do for the Order. You're my last resort."

"But I…"

"I'll be back for them later," Mana said, not waiting around to hear any more of his brother's protests. "Chelsea, Trace, you guys behave yourself."

And, without so much as another word, Mana turned and quickly retreated. Leaving his brother alone with three children and absolutely no idea what to do.

"Why?" Nicholas thought to himself as he watched his older brother disappear from sight. "Why do I let myself get involved in things like this?"

"Father…"

Nicholas was brought back to reality by the voice of his son and a slight tug on his tuxedo jacket. Gazing down he saw that Allen was gazing up at him intently. "What is it Allen?"

"Play a game!"

It seemed that Allen hadn't forgotten about his father's promise to play a game. And now the child had two accomplices. Three sets of eyes were gazing at Nicholas expectantly.

Even Trace had decided to join in, which was somewhat of a surprise to the Noah. With a sigh Nicholas ran a hand through his hair. "So what game do you guys want to play? And before you even say it hide and seek is not an option."

Each child had a glint in their eyes that Nicholas would have noticed had he been truly paying attention. But alas he wasn't. Which he would later come to regret.

A/N - Here's the end of chapter three and Nicholas has now been left alone with the children. How many of you think that will turn out well? Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	4. Capture the Flag

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Four - Capture the Flag

"Alright," Nicholas said once he'd recovered somewhat. The young Noah still wasn't overly happy about being left in charge of the group of children but there wasn't really anything that he could do about it at this point. Which meant that he would have to deal with it as well as he could… and hope that either Mana or Lyssa returned soon.

Before the fears that he was hiding turned into horrifying reality.

"Father…"

Feeling a slight tug on the cuff of his jacket Nicholas gazed down into a pair of large gray eyes. Allen was gazing up at him with a hopeful expression in his eyes. "What is it Allen?"

"Hide and seek…"

"Not gonna happen kiddo," Nicholas said, wondering how many times he would have to say no before Allen stopped suggesting that particular game. "Does anyone else know any acceptable games?"

The three children held thoughtful expressions on their faces for a few minutes before the least likely person in the group spoke up. Clearing his throat Trace said, "I know a game that we could play."

"What is it?" Nicholas asked, a cautious note in his voice. He was wary of this boy, the son of the obnoxious red haired Exorcist, and wanted to get all the details before he agreed to play the game.

"It's called capture the flag." Trace gazed at Nicholas calmly as he went about explaining the game. "We'll split into two teams, each comprised of two people. Each team will have a flag and an area in which to hide it. Then, once the two flags have been hidden, the other team has to find and capture their opponent's flag. The catch is that if you're caught on the other team's territory and they tag you, then you can't leave. You are, in a sense, in jail. And the only way that you can rejoin the game is if your teammate breaks you out. The first team to find the opponent's flag is the winner."

Nicholas thought about the proposed game for a few minutes, attempting to figure out any possible scenario where this could go horribly wrong. Nothing immediately came to mind however and in the end the Noah nodded his head. "I suppose that this game is acceptable… and I propose that you and I are team captains. That way it's a little more fair. What do you say to you and Chelsea against Allen and myself?"

"You're on!" It sounded almost as though Trace was taking this as a personal challenge but Nicholas chose to ignore that.

"I'll be right back," the Noah said, turning away from the children. "I'm going to go and find something to serve as the two flags." And, having said this, Nicholas made his way toward the house.

"This is going to be so much fun," Chelsea said, clapping her hands together.

Trace nodded. He wasn't usually one for games but his father had suggested that it might be entertaining to give the Noah a hard time. And the red haired youth couldn't deny the fact that the ideal appealed to him. A glint appeared in the boy's blue eyes as he thought about the plan that he had developed.

"This is going to be good…"

"Okay." Nicholas quickly made his way back over to the spot where the children were standing. He had quickly located two makeshift flags, not wanting to leave the kids unsupervised for any great length of time. The young man had a piece of cloth clutched in each hand, one red and one blue. Nicholas offered the red cloth to Trace, keeping the blue one for himself. "Here's your flag and you and Chelsea can have the backyard for your territory. Allen and I shall take the front yard. We'll take ten minutes to hide the flags." Nicholas pulled out a golden pocket watch and checked the time. "And I'll whistle when time's up. After that, it's each team for themselves."

"Right." Trace nodded his head and then turned to Chelsea. "Come on, let's go."

Together Trace and Chelsea made their way to the backyard, leaving Nicholas and Allen alone in the front yard. Once the two older children were out of sight the Noah turned to his son. "Alright Allen, let's hide the flag."

Allen nodded, a smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Once the ten minutes had passed, Nicholas gave a sharp whistle, signaling that it was time for the search to begin. Then the young man turned to the little boy who was tagging along behind him. "Alright Allen, it's your job to tag anyone who comes into the front yard. I'm going to go and find their flag."

"'Kay!" Allen exclaimed, practically bursting with enthusiasm.

Chuckling softly to himself Nicholas left to make his way to the backyard. He knew that it was unlikely that Allen would be able to tag the older children but that didn't matter. Because he was confident in the hiding place that he had chosen for the flag. "There's no way that they're ever going to find it," he thought to himself as he quietly made his way to the territory of the opposing team.

As Nicholas entered the backyard his senses were on full alert. But it seemed as though the opposing team's territory was completely abandoned. Now it was possible that they were both attempting to infiltrate his side and find the flag but that wasn't a smart tactic. Not that Nicholas really cared. He was intent upon finding their flag and ending this game.

Because he was still incredibly wary.

Nicholas couldn't shake the feeling that the red haired boy was up to something. It was suspicious that he had been the one to suggest the game, seeing as he was the least likely to want to do anything childish. "Let's just get this over with…"

With this thought in mind the Noah set about searching for the little strip of red cloth that would bring an end to this silly game.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the house, Allen was standing guard when he saw his cousin Chelsea appear. The young girl didn't look even remotely concerned by the fact that she had been spotted by Allen, since she knew that she could easily outrun the three year old. That fact had already been proven during their little game of tag the previous day.

As soon as he saw his cousin Allen ran forward, determined to tag her and make sure that she didn't get the chance to find the flag that his father had hidden. Moving as fast as his small legs would carry him the child made an attempt to catch Chelsea.

Who merely giggled and ran away from him. "You can't catch me Allen!"

"I catch you." There was determination in the young boy's voice as he continued to give chase. He remembered the difficulties that he had during their game of tag but Allen was hoping that it would turn out differently this time around.

"Come on Allen," Chelsea taunted, slowing her pace and keeping just out of the little boy's reach.

A light seemed to burn in Allen's stormy eyes as he suddenly made a dive for his cousin. Screeching in surprise Chelsea just barely managed to keep herself from being tagged. Turning her head she watched as the little boy tumbled across the grass before jumping to his feet and continuing the chase.

"Wow…" the girl thought to herself as she once again began to run. "He's determined."

Nicholas could hear Allen and Chelsea and he chuckled softly to himself as he set about searching for the flag. All he needed for his son to do was keep Chelsea occupied and away from this side of the yard. The Noah needed time to find the flag and end this silly little game once and for all.

"Bet you thought you were going to win didn't you?"

Nicholas jumped slightly, not having expected to encounter anyone. He'd been sure that both Chelsea and Trace had went in search of his flag but as he felt a hand grasp his arm the Noah realized how woefully wrong that assumption had been. Glancing to his side Nicholas saw an arm coming from one of the many bushes, a hand gripping his sleeve.

Nicholas growled under his breath as he watched Trace emerge from the bush, a smirk on his face. The look was so reminiscent of the expression often worn by the red haired Exorcist that it actually made Nicholas shudder. "Damn," the Noah muttered.

The smirk that Trace was wearing grew even wider as he gave a sharp whistle. This confused Nicholas but after only a few moments he became painfully aware of what the whistle had been. It was a signal to Chelsea. The young girl bounded into the backyard, a broad smile on her face.

"That didn't take long," Chelsea commented, her green eyes focused on her uncle.

"I told you that it wouldn't." There was an air of arrogance in the teen's voice and it only served to increase Nicholas' irritation over the situation.

"This is just great," the Noah muttered to himself.

Trace heard the words that were mumbled by the man but paid no attention to them. Still smirking the teen shrugged off his backpack and pulled a rope from within it's depths. Then, rope in hand, he turned back to the Noah.

"Oh no you don't," Nicholas said, taking a step back. The young man shook his head, fully realizing what was running through the teen's mind and having absolutely no intentions of allowing it.

"But Uncle Nicholas," Chelsea said, wide green eyes focused on the man who was standing before them. "It's just part of the game. You have to do it."

Nicholas didn't like the direction that this game had taken but, after a few moments of gazing down into Chelsea's pleading green eyes, he gave up. "Fine, whatever." In his mind Nicholas thought that he'd be able to escape at any given moment so it wasn't really a big deal if he allowed the two children to tie him up.

"Excellent." Trace led the way over to a tree and Nicholas allowed himself to be tied there. Rolling his eyes he gazed off into the distance, not really paying any attention to the knot that Trace was tying in the rope.

That would come back to haunt him later.

Once their guardian/opponent was secured to the tree Trace turned to Chelsea with a smile. "Come on. Now all we have to do is find their flag and we win."

Chelsea nodded and Nicholas was forced to watch as both children ran toward the front yard.

"Great," Nicholas thought to himself, banging his head on the trunk of the tree. "They're never going to find it… this game could continue forever. I did not plan this out well."

After leaving Nicholas tied to the tree both Trace and Chelsea made their way to the front yard. Allen seemed to have lost interest in the game while the two older children had been dealing with the Noah and was now seated on the ground. The child was absently playing with a blade of grass but looked up the moment that he heard voices.

"Hey Allen!" Trace's blue eyes locked onto the little boy, who immediately jumped to his feet. It appeared as though Allen was going to give chase but the red haired youth held up his hand, preventing this. "Your father's been captured kiddo. You might want to go and rescue him."

Allen stared at Trace for a couple of seconds, as though attempting to figure out if he were lying. But in the end the brown haired little boy turned and ran off.

"This is easier than I thought it would be," Trace said with a chuckle. "Now let's split up and find the flag. The win will be ours in a matter of minutes."

"Right." Chelsea was normally the trouble maker of the group but she had to admit that she was quite enjoying this side of Trace. It appeared so rarely after all.

Allen made his way to the backyard as fast as his little legs could carry him. The child gazed around the area and quickly spotted his father, who seemed to be tied to a tree. Allen gazed at this sight for a couple of seconds, his head tilted slightly to one side.

"Allen…" Nicholas was relieved to see his son and immediately called out to the child. He had been working to loosen the ropes that were holding him secured to the tree but had found that Trace hadn't been playing around. No matter how much he struggled Nicholas had found that he couldn't get free. But he felt renewed hope as his gaze fell upon Allen. "Come over here."

"'Kay!" Allen quickly made his way over to the tree where his dad was tied. "How this happen?"

"Apparently it's part of the game," Nicholas grumbled in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. "Can you please untie me?"

"Yes!" A smile spread across Allen's face as he located the knot and began working to untie it. Unfortunately the child found it impossible to untie the knot, no matter how hard he tried. "I can't," he whimpered, still fighting with the rope.

Nicholas sighed, unable to believe that he had allowed this to happen. He had known better than to allow those two children to tie him up but for some unknown reason he'd done it anyway. And it was really coming back to haunt him at this moment. "Keep trying," he encouraged his son.

Allen continued to fight with the knot that was holding the rope around his father's chest but no matter what he tried the little boy couldn't untie it. He dutifully kept working with it however, unwilling to give up.

* * *

Nicholas didn't have any idea how much time had passed since this horrible game had began. He remained tied to the tree, idly hitting his head on the trunk. Allen was still attempting to untie the knot but not having any more luck than he had earlier. The Noah could tell that the child was frustrated, due to the soft sniffling noises that he was making.

"It's alright Allen," the man said in a quiet voice. "You don't have to cry. I'm sure they'll untie me eventually." Nicholas' eyes narrowed at this point as he thought to himself, "Or at least they had better."

At this moment, as if on cue, Trace and Chelsea appeared in the backyard. Both children looked as frustrated as Allen sounded and Nicholas couldn't keep a grin from spreading across his face. He was still irritated over the situation but was fairly certain that he knew what had caused their frustration.

And he found it highly amusing.

"Are you having some kind of problem?" Nicholas questioned as the two children walked over to the tree where he was tied.

"We've looked everywhere," Chelsea whined, her hands on her hips as she gazed at her uncle. "Did you really hide the flag because we can't find it?"

"I did hide it," Nicholas replied in a calm voice. He was making every effort not to let Trace and Chelsea see how annoyed he was with his current predicament. "Didn't I Allen?"

"Uh huh," Allen replied, still attempting to untie the knot.

"So where is it?" Trace practically demanded. He had searched everywhere that he knew of and had yet to find the flag.

"It wouldn't be a fair win if I told you where it was," Nicholas said, the smirk still on his face.

"But it's been hours," Chelsea exclaimed, a slightly petulant note in her voice. "And we still can't find it."

"Has it really been hours since this started?" Nicholas was somewhat surprised by this revelation. He hadn't really paid any attention to the passage of time and was caught off guard. And the smirk on his face faltered as the thought that someone could return and find him in this situation crossed his mind. "What do you say we just call this game a draw?"

"Unacceptable!" Determination shone bright in Trace's blue eyes as he gazed at the Noah. "I will find it."

"Great," Nicholas muttered as Trace and Chelsea once again turned to leave. The two children only made it a couple of steps however before something caused them to halt their progress.

"Nicholas!"

The Noah's gaze immediately shot toward the person who had called out to him. And he was completely horrified when his gaze fell upon Lyssa, Mana and that obnoxious General Cross. "Why?" he muttered, once again banging his head against the trunk of the tree. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"This is perfect," General Cross said, pulling aside his coat and grasping the handle of Judgment. "Couldn't have devised a more perfect scenario." Having said this Cross aimed the gun at the Noah's forehead.

Shifting into his Noah form, Nicholas fought even harder against his restraints. But alas he was still unable to gain his freedom. Which only caused his anger to mount.

"I think that's enough," Mana said, reaching out and placing his hand on the weapon.

"Fine," Cross growled, holstering the gun.

Placing the package that she was carrying down on the ground Lyssa strode across the yard toward the tree where her husband was tied. Kneeling down she placed her hands on Allen's shoulders. "You can go and play Allen sweetie. I've got this."

Allen's gaze shifted between his mother and father before he jumped to his feet and dashed off.

"I left you alone for a few hours," Lyssa said, shaking her head. "How in the world did this happen?"

"They said that it was part of the game," Nicholas replied after a brief moment of thought. He debated lying to his wife but decided against it in the end. After all there was no way possible to explain this in a way that didn't make him look like an idiot. So there was simply no reason to lie and risk making Lyssa angry at him once more.

"And you believed them?" Lyssa sounded incredulous as she posed this question. "What is wrong with you?"

Nicholas shrugged. "Could you lecture me later? I'd really like to no longer be tied to this tree."

"Here, let me help." Mana walked over to the tree where his younger brother was tied, attempting to keep a smile from spreading across his face. Pulling a small knife from his pocket Mana cut the rope that was restraining Nicholas, giving him his freedom.

"Thanks Mana," Nicholas mumbled as he got to his feet. He was somewhat stiff from his long stint tied to the tree and the young man stretched his arms up over his head. "All because of a game."

Cross smirked, thinking to himself that his son had done a great job of tormenting the Noah. Perhaps the kid really had inherited some of his genes after all.

"Father!"

Nicholas turned his attention toward his son and watched as Allen bounded toward him, a little slip of red cloth clutched tightly in his right hand. The Noah could feel a smile spreading across his face as he watched the little boy. It seemed only fair that Allen be able to claim victory in this little game.

"I found it!" Allen exclaimed as he ran up to his father.

"So you did," Nicholas said, scooping the little boy up into his arms and giving him a little toss. "Great job Allen!"

"We win!" the little boy shouted, turning gray eyes toward the other two children. Who just looked stunned.

* * *

Allen had been put to bed for the night and Lyssa was spending a little quality time with her husband before he had to return to the Ark. She knew that it was too much to ask for him to be able to spend two nights with them but was none the less sad that he had to leave. The two were sitting side by side on the sofa, Lyssa snuggled up to Nicholas with her head laying on his chest. "Nicholas..."

"What is it?" Nicholas had been idly running his hand through Lyssa's rich, chestnut hair but stopped as he heard a strange note in his wife's voice.

"There's something that I really need to tell you." Lyssa's voice was barely above a whisper. She truly had no idea how her husband was going to react to this news but knew that she had to tell him. And this seemed like the opportune moment to do so. So, taking a deep breath, Lyssa spoke the words that she had gone over in her head several times. "We're going to have another baby."

Lyssa waited a few moments, to give Nicholas time to take in her news. But when he didn't say anything after that length of time she became somewhat concerned. Was the idea of another baby really that horrifying to him? Raising up she turned her gaze up toward her husband... only to find him unconscious.

"Oh not again," she muttered to herself, recalling a similar reaction when she had informed him that she was pregnant with Allen. "At least he was sitting down this time... he can't really handle any more brain damage."

With a sigh Lyssa began shaking her husband, in an attempt to wake him up. "Nicholas…" This didn't seem to be doing the trick so Lyssa moved on to something more likely to get his attention. "Nicky! Wake up!"

The Noah slowly opened his eyes, his bleary gaze falling upon the face of his wife. Shaking his head, in an effort to clear his vision, he thought back to the words that he had heard. "Was that a joke or did you seriously just tell me that you're pregnant?"

"That depends," Lyssa said carefully. "You aren't going to faint again are you?"

A blush rose to color Nicholas' face. He couldn't believe that he'd had tha reaction not once but twice now. It was the height of embarassment but there wasn't really anything that he could do about it. So he chose to be in denial. "No!"

"Then yes, I just told you that I'm pregnant." Lyssa gazed at her husband through large brown eyes. "What do you think about that news?"

Leaning forward Nicholas wrapped his arms around his wife. Pulling her close he gazed into her eyes, the eyes that he had fallen in love with. This woman was the love of his life and for her and their children he was defying the devil himself. "I think that I love you." And, having said this, Nicholas gently touched Lyssa's lips with his own.

A/N - And here's the end of chapter four! Hope that you enjoyed reading about poor Nicky's torment. And little Allen is going to have a sibling! This came about during a conversation that I was having with a friend. PeanutAngel, I blame you for this! XD


	5. Relocation

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Five - Relocation

It was early, much earlier than Lyssa was accustomed to rising, but the young woman found that she couldn't sleep. And, as this didn't appear likely to change, she decided to just get up. Her thoughts were still jumbled after her discussion with Nicholas the night before.

She was going to have to leave her home.

Lyssa was fond of the small house where she had lived since marrying Nicholas and didn't really want to leave it. But at the same time she fully realized why her husband was so adamant that she not stay here alone. It would most likely be okay for now but once her pregnancy progressed it would be harder for her to do things without help. As well as difficult for her to care for her hyperactive young son.

"I still have to tell Allen that he's going to be a big brother…" With this thought in mind Lyssa wandered down the hallway to the room that belonged to her son. The door had been left cracked and Lyssa opened it as quietly as she could and stepped inside the room.

The room was bathed in a subdued light, filtering in through the window from the rising sun outside. As Lyssa's eyes adjusted to the faint light her gaze fell upon the small form of her sleeping son. Allen was nestled under the blankets, the only thing visible was his face and mop of unruly brown hair. A smile spread across the young mother's face as she walked over to her son's bedside and gently ran her hand through her son's silky hair.

"He's so sweet when he's sleeping," Lyssa thought to herself as she gazed at Allen. The little boy reminded her a great deal of his father, which always brought a smile to her face.

Absently the young woman placed a hand to her stomach. She wasn't yet showing any outward signs of her pregnancy but was none the less still aware that there was a new life growing inside of her. "I wonder what the new baby will be like…"

At this moment Allen shifted in his sleep, which to Lyssa signaled that the little boy would soon be awake. Rolling over the child's eyelids fluttered a few times before opening. The little boy smiled as his gaze fell upon his mother. "Morning!" he called out, tossing the covers aside and leaping up.

Leaning forward Lyssa pulled the child into her arms, giving him a hug. "Good morning Allen. Would you like to help me fix breakfast this morning?"

"Breakfast!" the child exclaimed, pulling himself free from his mother's arms and dashing from the room.

Lyssa sighed as she watched her child flee the room, headed in the direction of the kitchen as fast as his little legs could carry him. "I suppose I should have gotten him dressed before I mentioned breakfast," she muttered to herself before turning and following him from the room. "Oh well, I guess it can wait until after breakfast."

Reaching the kitchen Lyssa gasped in horror as her gaze fell upon her three year old son climbing on the back of a chair to reach the cabinets. Rushing forward she grasped the child around the waist, picking him up before he fell and got hurt. "Allen Nicholas," she scolded mildly as she placed the child down on the floor. "You know better than to climb on the furniture. You should have waited for me."

"I sorry," Allen said, gazing up at his mother with a rather forlorn expression in his eyes. "Jus' wanted to help."

"You can help," Lyssa said, reaching down and tousling the boy's already unruly brown hair. "But not by climbing on the furniture like that."

"'Kay," Allen said.

Lyssa quickly gathered up the ingredients necessary to make pancakes before picking up her young son. Holding the child in her arms the young mother allowed him to add the ingredients and mix the batter. A smile appeared on Allen's face and it was obvious that the child was delighted to be helping his mother.

"I help!" he exclaimed.

"You're a big help," Lyssa told him, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head before placing him back down on the floor.

* * *

Lyssa was cleaning up the rather large mountain of dishes from breakfast when she heard a knock on the door. The young woman was somewhat surprised since her home was shielded by a magical barrier that only a select few could breech. Wiping her hands on the dishtowel the young woman turned and made her way to the front door. Reaching out she opened the door and came face to face with her brother in law.

"Hello Mana," the young woman said, offering the brown haired man a smile and gesturing for him to come inside.

"Good morning Lyssa," Mana said, stepping inside the house and closing the door behind himself. "I came to get you and Allen."

"I see you've been talking with Nicholas," Lyssa said, somewhat annoyed that her husband had taken matters into his own hand. She'd never said that she wouldn't leave and yet Nicholas had taken it upon himself to send his older brother to collect her and their son.

"You sound less than pleased by that," Mana said, gazing at his sister in law. "Nicholas said that you had agreed with him."

"I agreed that he had a point," Lyssa said, making her way toward the parlor, where Allen was playing with a set of building blocks. "But I didn't think that he'd expect us to move so soon."

Hearing his mother's voice Allen glanced up from his play and his face brightened the moment that he spied his uncle. "Mana!" the child exclaimed happily. Jumping to his feet the child ran across the room, tackling the man and wrapping his tiny arms around Mana's legs.

"Hello Allen," Mana said, reaching down and tousling the little boy's hair fondly. He was always pleased to see Allen and the child always seemed equally pleased to see him. If his enthusiastic greetings were any indication.

"You bring Chelsea?" the child questioned, a hopeful look in his gray eyes as he gazed up at his uncle.

"Afraid not kiddo," Mana said, offering the child a smile. "She stayed at home with her mother this time."

A slight pout appeared on the boy's face as he released his grip on his uncle and made his way back over to his blocks. Lyssa's heart went out to her little boy, who didn't have anyone to play with, and that was when her irritation over moving abruptly vanished. She turned her attention back to her brother in law. "If you'll give me a few minutes to pack up some of our things we'll be ready."

Somewhat taken aback by this abrupt change all Mana could do was nod. "Take all the time you need."

"What'cha doin'?" Allen asked, a confused look appearing in his gray eyes.

"We're going to go and stay with Uncle Mana and his family for a little while Allen sweetie," Lyssa said, offering the child a smile. "Won't that be nice? You'll have someone to play with."

Getting to his feet Allen once again walked over to the spot where his uncle was standing. Gazing up at the man the little boy asked, "We's goin' home wit' you?"

Mana nodded as he leaned forward and scooped his nephew up into his arms. "That's right," he said even as he turned his gaze toward Lyssa. "Does he know the reason why?"

Lyssa shook her head. "I haven't told him yet. I plan on doing it tonight."

"Tell me what?" Allen demanded, twisting in Mana's arms so that he could gaze at his mother.

"Later sweetie," Lyssa said, not wanting to have that conversation with him at this moment. She needed time to think about what to say as well as prepare for her child's possible reaction to the news that he was going to be a big brother.

Considering the fact that Allen had been an only child his entire life there was more than a slight chance that he might not be happy about the new baby. Of course it was too late to do anything about it so the if the little boy did end up having a problem with it he would just have to deal with it.

"I guess we'll find out later," Lyssa thought to herself as she set about gathering up some of their things.

While Mana kept young Allen occupied, Lyssa gathered up some necessities and packed them into a suitcase. Then she took a smaller bag and packed Allen's favorite toys so that he would have something to do should he tire of playing with his cousin. Then, once this task was complete, she made her way back to the parlor.

The young woman paused in the doorway, a smile spreading across her face. It looked as though Allen had enticed his uncle to get into the floor and play with his building blocks. Mana was sitting perfectly still, surrounded by building blocks. Lyssa made every attempt not to laugh at her brother in law but it was futile so she raised her hand in an attempt to muffle the sound.

Hearing the sounds of muffled laughter behind him Mana turned and saw Lyssa standing in the doorway. "It really isn't funny… and I'm not entirely sure that I'm going to be able to get back up out of the floor."

"Allen," Lyssa said, placing her bags on the floor and stepping into the room. It looked as though her child was holding his uncle hostage and the young woman found herself wondering how exactly this had came about. "What have you done to poor Uncle Mana?"

"Builded a fort!" Allen announced happily, a bright smile on his face. He pointed toward his uncle. "He lotsa fun!"

"I'm glad that you're having fun," Lyssa said, walking over to her son. "But it's time for us to go so let Uncle Mana out of the fort."

Allen's gaze shifted back and forth between his mother and his uncle for a few minutes before he got to his feet. Gazing at the blocks with a serious expression on his face the child abruptly began kicking them out of the way. And as he did so Allen made imitated the sounds of an explosion.

"Looks like the boy's got a bit of a destructive streak," Lyssa commented as she gathered up the blocks and stowed them in the bag along with Allen's other toys.

"He is his father's son," Mana stated as he used the edge of the sofa to hoist himself up from the floor.

"That he is," Lyssa said, holding out her hands to her three year old. Smiling Allen ran to his mother, who hoisted him up into her arms and gave him a hug. "You're a little Nicky, aren't you?"

Making a face Allen shook his head. "No."

Laughing Lyssa hugged him once more. "Yes you are."

"No I not," Allen maintained, looking slightly frustrated. "I Allen."

"You're still a little Nicky," Lyssa maintained, much to the annoyance of her young son. Allen sighed but seemed to decide not to argue with his mother any more. After all it didn't appear to be working out so well for him. The child heaved a long suffering sigh and turned toward his uncle.

Who was laughing hysterically.

"It not funny!" Allen said, clenching his little hands into fists and glaring at Mana.

"Just like him," Mana said, trying his best to bring his laughter under control before he managed to further anger the little boy. And, judging by the expression on his face, it wouldn't take very much to cause that outcome at this point. "Come on, we should go before Allen stops talking to the both of us."

"Alright," Lyssa said.

The young woman made an attempt to pick up her suitcase and Allen's bag but Mana beat her to it. "I can carry them," she maintained, shifting her son so that he was supported by one arm.

"I know you can," Mana said even as he picked up both pieces of luggage. "But I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I allowed you to. You just keep track of little Nicky there and I'll carry the bags."

"I NOT a li'l Nicky!" Allen angrily declared, losing what little patience he had.

"Don't shout Allen," Lyssa gently reminded him gently, knowing that she couldn't get too angry with him since both she and his uncle were egging him on.

"Sorry," Allen said, slightly subdued. "But I not a li'l Nicky."

Lyssa simply shook her head, slightly amused by the child's indignation. He really was just like his father.

* * *

When the trio arrived at the house that belonged to Mana the man held the door open and allowed Lyssa and Allen to enter before him. "Make yourselves at home," he said as he followed them inside, closing the door behind them.

They had barely crossed the threshold when the sound of footsteps echoed in the foyer. Moments later a little girl came flying into the room, a broad smile on her face. "Allen!" Chelsea called out happily, coming to a stop a few feet away from the spot where her aunt stood holding her young cousin.

"Chelsea," Mana said, raising one eyebrow as he gazed at his daughter. "You know that you aren't supposed to run in the house."

"Sorry," Chelsea said somewhat sheepishly. "I was just so excited that Allen's here and is going to be staying with us that I guess I forgot."

Mana shook his head over the fact that she had once again 'forgotten' the rules but didn't say anything. It was a fairly minor slip up after all and not one worth making a scene over. Turning back to Lyssa he said, "Follow me and I'll show you and Allen to your rooms so that you can get settled in."

"Can we play after that?" Chelsea asked, a pleading look in her green eyes. She was so excited about the fact that she would have someone around to play with. Of course she had Trace from time to time but usually she had to play by herself.

Which made the fact that Allen and his mother were staying with them all the better as far as the young girl was concerned.

Playing by herself was so lonely.

"Give them a little time to get settled in Chelsea," Mana said as he lead the way over to the staircase. He was happy that his daughter would have someone to play with but at the same time he didn't want her to become a bother to her Aunt Lyssa.

Chelsea looked like she wanted to protest but after catching the look in her father's eyes she nodded. "Alright," the young girl said, turning and skipping off.

Mana led the way upstairs, coming to a stop at a closed door. Opening the door he gestured toward the spacious room. "This is your room Lyssa and Allen's is the room right next door. Take your time getting settled and feel free to make yourselves at home after that."

"Thanks Mana," Lyssa said, offering him a smile as she placed her little boy down on the floor. Even though she hadn't really wanted to leave her home she was grateful none the less for the fact that her brother in law had opened his home to her and her son.

"Why's we stayin' here?" Allen asked as he watched his uncle turn and leave the room. Confusion was etched all over his face as he gazed up at his mother.

"Your father wanted us to stay here so that we'd be safe," Lyssa said, hoping that this satisfied him for now. She fully intended to tell him about the new baby but she didn't want to give him that bit of news right now. Mainly because she still hadn't decided on the best way to tell him.

"Oh." The little boy seemed to accept this answer and set about exploring his new surroundings. While Lyssa set about hanging up the clothing that she had brought Allen wandered around the room, taking in everything.

"Come on Allen," Lyssa said, offering her hand to the little boy. "Let's go and take a look at your room."

"'Kay!" Allen took the hand that his mother held out to him and together they traveled the short distance to the room that would be his. Opening the door Lyssa discovered that Allen's room was almost as large as her own and very nicely furnished. "Look sweetie, isn't it nice?"

"Uh huh," Allen said as he pulled his hand free from his mother's grasp and surveyed this room in much the same way as he'd inspected his mother's room. Walking over to the large window Allen pulled the curtain aside so that he could peer outside. A smile spread across his face as he took in the view for a few minutes before continuing his inspection of the room.

"It's not home," Lyssa said as she watched her little boy walking around the edge of the room. At least Allen seemed happy enough with the situation which was a plus as far as the young mother was concerned. "But we'll be comfortable here and, more importantly, it's safer."

At that moment someone knocked lightly on the doorframe. Both Lyssa and Allen glanced toward the sound, their gazes simultaneously coming to rest on Chelsea.

"Aunt Lyssa," the young girl said, gazing at her aunt with her green eyes tilted up charmingly. "Can Allen come and play? Please?"

"Please?" Allen said, his gaze shifting to his mother.

"Go ahead," Lyssa said with a nod, offering the two children a smile. "Just please don't cause any trouble. I don't want your Uncle Mana to decide that this was a huge mistake until at least the second day that we're here."

"'Kay!" Allen said, running over to the door where Chelsea stood.

"No running in the house," Lyssa called out as the two children disappeared. The young woman rubbed the bridge of her nose, wondering how long it would take Mana to regret allowing his brother's family into his home. "The poor man is going to have gray hair before this is all over," Lyssa predicted as she made her way back to her own room.

"C'mon Allen," Chelsea said, leading her cousin down the corridor to her own room. "I know something fun that we can do."

"What?" Allen asked, following along behind his cousin and trying his best to not be left behind. He was having some difficulty keeping up with her and obeying the rule not to run. After all, his legs were quite a bit shorter than hers.

Opening the door to her own room Chelsea pulled the little boy over to a small table that looked as though it had been set for tea. "We'll have a tea party."

Allen stared at the table for a moment before shifting his gray eyed gaze back to his cousin. "Don' wanna."

"But it'll be fun," Chelsea maintained, walking over to his dresser and grabbing something. She had been waiting for so long to have someone to have a tea party with and Allen was just the right size. Holding up the object that she had grabbed Chelsea turned back to her cousin, a smile on her face. "And you can wear this!"

Allen took one look at the frilly dress that she was holding up, turned around, and ran. "I a BOY!" the child called out indignantly before disappearing around the doorway.

"Allen!" Chelsea called out, dropping the dress and giving chase. The no running in the house rule was completely forgotten as she sought to capture her cousin. Now that she finally had someone to play with she had no intentions of letting him escape so easily. "Come back Allen! I promise you, it'll be fun!"

The slight delay in giving chase had given Allen the advantage and, by the time that Chelsea reached the hallway, the little boy was long gone. The brown haired girl gazed around, wondering which direction he'd taken. Unfortunately there was nothing to point her in the right direction so she just chose one and hoped for the best.

"C'mon Allen!" Chelsea called out as she began searching for the little boy. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Having fled from his older cousin Allen made his way down one of the corridors in the manor. He had managed to get away from Chelsea but the child came to a stop as he realized something.

He was lost.

"Oh no," Allen moaned, gazing about through wide gray eyes.

A/N - I apologize for the late update. (I seem to be saying this a lot as of recently but oh well) End of another chapter and now Mana has to deal with two small children. Not sure how well that'll end for the poor man. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	6. The Chase is On

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Six - The Chase Is On

"Lost… lost… lost…"

Allen continued muttering this single word to himself as he continued with his attempts to elude his cousin. The house was unfamiliar territory and he was finding it impossible to tell one corridor from another. Which was a major contributing factor to him constantly making his way down the same corridors. He wasn't really making any progress, even though he'd been walking for what felt like forever.

And yet he continued to press onward.

Despite the fact that he was lost in the large manor, Allen continued to walk down one of the corridors. The small boy had absolutely no idea where he was going but he knew that he needed to put as much distance between himself and his cousin as possible.

Unless he wanted to be forced into a dress.

"I a boy," the child muttered to himself as he continued to walk down the chosen corridor, hoping against hope that he had made a good choice. Not that this was something that he would know until it was too late but the boy could hope.

"Need to hide," Allen said, his gray eyed gaze shifting about in search of a place to hide. Hopefully if he could manage to hide for awhile then Chelsea would grow bored with the chase and find something else to keep herself occupied.

Or at least that was the outcome that the small child was hoping for.

At the same time that Allen was trying to find a suitable place to hide until his cousin had gotten over her desire to put him in a dress said cousin was searching the mansion for the child. Chelsea brushed a stray lock of hair over her shoulder as she looked about for any signs of Allen. She'd lost the advantage in this game, not having expected him to actually run off, but knew that she still had the advantage.

Because Allen had only been to the manor a handful of times and didn't know the layout of the building. Plus there was the fact that the child had an uncanny knack for getting himself lost.

That would be a major help in her attempts to track him down and Chelsea couldn't keep a smile from spreading across her face.

"I'm going to find you Allen!" the girl sang out as she skipped along, keeping her eyes and ears alert for any sign of the small boy. An image of her cousin dressed in the frilly party dress appeared in her mind's eye at this point, causing the smile on her face to grow even wider. "And you'll look so cute when I'm finished with you!"

"Chelsea…"

The young girl turned around at the sound of her name and offered the speaker a broad smile. "What is it Mother?"

A woman of medium height and build, with black hair which was pulled back into a bun, was standing at the end of the corridor, hazel eyes focused on the small girl. "What on earth are you doing?" she questioned, arching one brow in curiosity.

"Just playing a game with Allen," Chelsea replied, knowing that it would be in her best interests to keep the nature of the game a secret from her mother. As well as the fact that Allen wasn't exactly a willing participant in the whole affair. It wasn't a certainty that she would take Allen's side in this matter but the chances were high enough to cause Chelsea to want to keep the information to herself.

"I see," Callista said, nodding her head in understanding. There was a knowing look in her eyes that said she knew that there was more to the situation than what her daughter was choosing to tell her. But she didn't further question the matter, trusting that her daughter wouldn't do anything truly bad. However there was one question that she wanted an answer to. "And does little Allen know that he's playing this game with you?"

"Of course he does," Chelsea answered, an innocent expression on her face as she gazed up at her mother. It wasn't exactly a lie; Allen DID know that she was searching for him although Chelsea was fairly certain that her cousin wouldn't view this as a game. But that wasn't something that her mother needed to know. "You haven't seen him have you Mother?"

The woman shook her head, still thinking that there was something going on that her daughter hadn't made her aware of. It was times like this when she wished that her child was just a little less mischievous. Of course with the way that Chelsea was the one thing that could be said about their household was that it was never boring. "I'm afraid that I haven't dear."

"Oh well," Chelsea said amicably, shrugging her small shoulders. That just meant that the game would continue a little longer and did nothing to curb her enthusiasm. To her the chase was half of the fun. "I'll find him sooner or later."

And with this the young girl skipped off, continuing her search for her unwitting prey. Her mother watched as she departed, thinking to herself that things were definitely going to be interesting from now on.

"Don' know where I goin'…" Allen mused as he turned a corner and walked by the same exact painting that he had already seen four times. Either that or his aunt and uncle had several copies of the exact same painting. It was of a man riding a white horse, a sword held high in his right hand. The little boy gazed up at the painting, wishing that the man on the canvas could give him directions.

But of course the painting couldn't speak so Allen was alone. Left to figure things out for himself.

Taking a couple of quick steps the child turned yet another corner and this time he was surprised to find himself no longer alone. An older woman wearing a black and white dress was standing at the end of the hallway, brushing things off with a feather duster. Giving a little squeak of surprise Allen turned to back track but paused as he heard, "And who exactly are you little one?"

The tone of the voice was gentle, causing Allen to turn back around so that he could gaze up at the woman. Her eyes had a kind look about them so Allen to a couple of steps toward her before pausing. Placing one hand over his chest and the other behind his back the little boy bowed slightly.

"My name Allen Walker," the child introduced himself, raising from his bow so that he could once again gaze at the woman.

"Walker…" the woman repeated, gazing at the little boy as though searching for something in his appearance. There was a curious expression in her eyes as her gaze swept the entire length of the child. Something about him was definitely familiar. "Are you related to Mister…"

"He's our nephew," a feminine voice spoke up, joining the conversation. "The son of Mana's brother Nicholas…"

Allen's gaze shifted to the new arrival and he offered his aunt a small smile. He had only seen her a couple of times but knew that this lady was Mana's wife and Chelsea's mother. "Hi," he said quietly.

"Hello Allen dear," Callista said, her gaze focused on the small boy that her daughter was searching for. "I see that you've met our maid, Mrs. Jenkins."

"Truly a charming little boy," Mrs. Jenkins said, a smile spreading across her face. "Reminds me of my little Aaron…"

Her voice trailed off at this point and her eyes took on a far off expression, as though she were recalling something from a long time ago. A sympathetic expression appeared on Callista's face as she heard these words, recalling what the maid had told her about losing a child to fever years ago. The little boy had been around Allen's age when he had passed away and Mrs. Jenkins always avoided speaking of him.

At this point the maid seemed to snap out of her reverie. "Is the child going to be staying here ma'am?" she questioned, her gaze going to Callista. There was something akin to hope in her face as she posed this question to her employer. As though she was desperately hoping that they would be confirmed. "The cook mentioned that we were going to have guests so I was just curious…"

Callista nodded. "Allen and his mother are going to be staying with us for awhile…"

At that moment Allen's attention was diverted away from the two women by the sound of footsteps and a sing-songy voice calling out, "Allen! Where are you?"

Without so much as a word, and completely forgetting the rule about not running in the house, the brown haired child fled. Rushing past his aunt and the maid he turned yet another corner and disappeared.

Before anyone had the opportunity to remind him of the broken rule.

Moments after Allen rounded one corner Chelsea appeared around another, her green eyes searching for any signs of her cousin. She seemed somewhat surprised when the only people that she found were her mother and the maid but the feeling was short lived, replaced quickly by confusion. She was certain that she had been about to find Allen and couldn't figure out exactly how the younger child had managed to elude her yet again. "I coulda sworn that I heard him…"

"Chelsea, what exactly are you trying to do to your poor cousin?" Callista questioned, not having failed to notice the somewhat frantic expression that had appeared on the young boy's face the moment that he had heard Chelsea's voice calling out to him. She couldn't be sure of course but it didn't seem as though the prospect of losing a simple game should be so frightening to the child.

Allen was a fairly good sport after all, which left Callista wondering what exactly she wasn't being told.

"We're just playing a game," Chelsea maintained, a smile on her face as she gazed at her mother. "So could you tell me which way he went?"

Callista gazed at her daughter's pleading green eyes for a moment before shaking her head. "That wouldn't be very fair now would it? Almost like you'd be cheating at the game…"

Chelsea had to resist the urge to growl in frustration. It annoyed her slightly that her mother was using her lie against her like this but she had no choice but to go along with it. Either that or reveal the fact that she was lying.

"And that's definitely not an option," the girl thought to herself before choosing a direction and continuing her search for the brown haired child.

After aimlessly roaming down the same corridors Allen finally grew tired of being lost. Choosing the first door that he came to the little boy opened it and slipped inside. The room was bathed in shadows, illuminated only partially by a pair of windows at the opposite side of the room. This didn't deter Allen in the slightest however and the child made his way across the room, gray eyes gazing about curiously.

The little boy's expression brightened substantially when his searching gaze fell upon a grand piano that was positioned in one corner of the room, facing a couple of plush looking chairs as though it had been positioned to give a performance.

"A'most like at home," Allen said in a quiet voice as he walked toward the piano. It was almost as though he were drawn to the instrument by an unknown force but the little boy didn't give this fact a second thought. Reaching the piano Allen clambered up onto the stood, reaching out and touching the ivory keys with one gloved hand. Clear notes rang out in response to the touch and a smile spread across the child's face.

Standing up on the stool so that he could better reach the keys the child began to play a song that his father had taught him. The clear notes rang out as the child played and Allen delighted in the music.

He had always been drawn to the piano, from his earliest memories. The music always made him feel peaceful and secure, something that he couldn't explain but a feeling that he never the less enjoyed.

Without conscious thought the child changed the song that he was playing, shifting from the simple child's tune to that of a haunting lullaby. His concentration locked onto the piano, Allen didn't even notice the door opening and someone joining him in the room. Closing his eyes he allowed the music to envelope him as he played a very familiar tune; one that he had heard many times in the past.

Only when the last notes faded away and the sound of applause filled the room did Allen register the fact that he was no longer alone. Glancing up he saw that his uncle had entered the parlor and he blushed as he hopped down from the piano stool.

"I sorry," the boy mumbled, his gaze focused on the floor.

"There's nothing for you to apologize for Allen," Mana assured the child as he walked forward and tousled the boy's hair fondly. "It's just that I heard the piano and thought that perhaps your father had came without my knowledge." The young man paused at this point, his brown eyes focused on his young nephew. "When did he teach you to play?"

Allen thought about the question for a few minutes before shrugging his small shoulders dismissively. "Long time ago."

Mana paused, briefly wondering exactly what constituted a 'long time ago' in the eyes of a three year old. But, after a few moments, he decided that it didn't really matter. Reaching out he offered his hand to the little boy. "Come on Allen… it's almost time for dinner."

Allen's eyes brightened at this pronouncement and he completely forgot the fact that he was hiding from his cousin. Quickly grasping the hand that was being held out to him the boy gazed up at his uncle. "C'mon Mana… let's go!"

Chuckling softly to himself Mana led the way to the door, hoping that Callista had remembered to tell their cook about the menu change. The man would have to double the amount of food he prepared, in order to accommodate the small child who would be calling the manor home for the next several months. Because, despite his age and small size, Allen could eat more than several men put together.

As uncle and nephew stepped from the room Chelsea appeared as though out of nowhere. She drew up short as she saw Allen but a slight pout formed on her lips owing to the fact that he was accompanied by her father.

"Hello sweetie," Mana said, catching sight of his daughter. "I'm glad that you're here, saves me the trouble of trying to find you. It's almost time for dinner so let's go to the dining room."

Chelsea looked disappointed for a split second before hiding it. Skipping over to her father she seized his other hand, at the same time mouthing, 'I'll get you later' to Allen. The child squeaked in dismay but didn't say anything as the trio made their way downstairs to the dining room.

As they entered the large room Allen's gaze swept around curiously. The dining hall was huge, almost the size of the entire downstairs of the house that he had shared with his mother up until today. Allen was slightly awestruck as Mana led the way over to a long table. Callista and Lyssa were already seated and chatting happily about something. Their gazes shifted as Mana entered with the children and Lyssa offered them a bright smile. "Did you finish your game?" she questioned, having learned about it from Callista.

"It's just been put on hold until later," Chelsea replied as she took her customary seat beside her mother.

Allen looked less than pleased by this answer from his cousin but didn't say anything. Lifting his nephew Mana placed the child in the chair beside his mother before taking his own place.

Vast amounts of food had already been placed upon the table and the little boy's sour expression vanished instantly.

"Let's eat!" Allen exclaimed, forgetting that he was irritated at his cousin.

Much to Chelsea's chagrin she wasn't able to continue her 'game' with Allen after dinner. Lyssa informed the group that she and her son had something important to discuss and then the two of them departed for her room.

Allen was more than a little confused about this important matter that his mother wanted to discuss but didn't question it. It was giving him an excuse to avoid Chelsea which was just fine with him.

"What's we gonna talk 'bout?" Allen questioned as his mother lifted him and placed him on her bed. The child gazed at Lyssa through large gray eyes, his confusion obvious.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed Lyssa pulled her young son into an embrace, gently placing a kiss on the top of his head. "Allen, sweetie, there's something that I need to tell you…"

Not sure why she hadn't just told him Allen looked up into his mother's brown eyes. "What? Tell me!"

Lyssa had given a lot of thought as to exactly how to give this news to her son but in the end decided that just saying it would probably be the best way. "You're going to be a big brother Allen."

Tilting his head to the side Allen asked, "You's gonna has a baby?"

Lyssa nodded, a smile spreading across her face as she placed one hand on her stomach at the same time using the other arm to give Allen a comforting squeeze. "I'm going to have a baby," she confirmed.

Then she waited to see what her child's reaction would be.

Allen seemed to give it a great deal of thought, a far too serious expression on his young face. Then, without warning, a wide grin spread across his face. "I gonna be a brother!"

Lyssa released a breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding as she heard his words and the excited tone with which he spoke them. She had been so afraid that Allen wouldn't take the news well and the fact that he seemed happy about the prospect of a younger sibling made her happy.

"Gonna be boy or girl?" Allen questioned, effectively drawing his mother's attention back to him.

"There's no way to know sweetie," Lyssa replied, gazing down at the child. "We'll just have to wait until the baby's born." At this point she smiled at Allen and placed another kiss on his soft hair. "But we can guess… do you think it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

Allen was silent for awhile, seemingly giving this question a tremendous amount of thought. Then he smiled up at his mother and stated, "It's going to be a girl."

"You think so Allen?" Lyssa asked, the smile still on her face. She hadn't even dared to hope that her child would be this excited about his future sibling and couldn't have been happier. An image of a little girl with mahogany hair appeared in her mind's eye, making the young woman's smile widen even further.

Allen nodded, snuggling close to his mother. "Gonna be a sister…"

The child's eyes were partially closed as he leaned against his mother and Lyssa could tell that her son was drowsy. Pulling him closer she caressed his hair as he drifted off to sleep beside her. Gathering the child into her arms Lyssa carried him to the room next door, which would be his as long as they were staying with Mana and his family.

With the skill born from much practice Lyssa changed the child into his pajamas and then tucked him into bed. For a moment she just stood staring down at him, just as she had done after awakening.

Placing her hand on her stomach Lyssa thought back to Allen's words. "A sister huh? Maybe it will be. But no matter if it's a boy or a girl I hope that the two of them get along."

That was her sincerest wish. All the young woman wanted was a happy and healthy family.

A/N - Here's the end of another chapter and Allen managed to escape being forced into a dress… at least for now. And his mother told him about the baby and he's predicted a sister. Will he be right? Stay tuned to find out. Hope that you enjoyed!


	7. Winning and Losing

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Seven - Winning and Losing

Allen awoke early the next morning, having completely forgotten about his little misadventure with his cousin. It was as though none of that had happened, at least as far as Allen was concerned. Sitting up in bed the little boy gazed around the room that he was in through partially open, sleep filled eyes. And found that nothing seemed familiar to him. Rubbing at his eyes with the back of one hand ,it took the child a moment to remember exactly where he was. The strange surroundings frightened him briefly, at least until he recalled the events of the previous day.

"Gonna be a big brother," the little boy chattered happily to himself as he climbed from beneath the covers. Crawling to the edge of the large bed Allen carefully lowered himself to the floor, using the blankets as a makeshift rope. It took some maneuvering and quite a bit of effort but Allen finally managed to make it, his bare feet making a slapping sound as they hit the wooden floor.

For a moment he just stood beside the bed, gazing around the room with a thoughtful expression in his gray eyes. Normally he would wait for his mother to come in and get his clothes for him but on this particular morning Allen decided that he was big enough to do that for himself. After all he was going to be a big brother soon so he needed to start doing things for himself.

"I can do it," Allen said as he made his way over to the dresser where his mother had placed his clothes the day before. The only problem with this plan was the small fact that Allen wasn't nearly tall enough to actually reach the top drawer, where his things were located.

A frown formed on the child's face as Allen gazed at the dresser where he knew his clothes were stored. He knew that he needed to find a way to reach the top drawer and absently gazed around the room for something to climb on. After a moment his gray eyes locked onto a chair that was positioned across the room in a far corner. The frown was quickly replaced by a bright smile as the little boy trotted over to the chair. Reaching out he grasped it with his small hands, giving it a tug.

It didn't so much as budge.

Allen's smile faltered as he discovered that the chair was extremely heavy but he wasn't dissuaded. Moving behind the chair the brown haired youth used the weight of his body in an effort to push the stubborn chair across the room toward his destination. He put all of his strength into it but even that wasn't enough to move the chair.

It was simply too heavy.

The frown once again returned to the little boy's face as he made his way back over to the dresser. Staring at it with an intense expression Allen tried to come up with some alternative way to get what he wanted. He stared for a few minutes before an idea came to him.

Reaching out Allen pulled open the bottom drawer, the smile once again appearing on his face. Then he pulled open the second, although he didn't open it all of the way. Clambering up onto the second drawer Allen used them as stairs, opening each in turn so that he could climb up. He had just reached the top, feeling triumphant, when he heard the voice of his mother calling out to him. "Allen Nicholas Walker!"

As Lyssa entered her son's room and saw him climbing on the dresser she felt her heart leap up into her throat. Rushing forward she quickly grasped her child around his thin waist, lifting him from the dresser before he fell and hurt himself. "What were you thinking?" she asked as she hugged her son tight, grateful that she'd chosen that moment to check on him. Had she waited even a few minutes longer then the situation could have been disastrous.

"I was jus' tryin' to gets clothes," Allen muttered, his gray eyes downcast as his mother held him in her arms. "Didn' mean ta makes ya mad…"

With a sigh Lyssa carried the child over to his bed, sitting down on the edge and holding Allen in her lap. "You didn't make me angry Allen, just scared. You could have gotten hurt and we've talked about climbing on the furniture. You know that you aren't allowed to do that."

"I sorry," Allen whimpered, sniffling slightly.

"It's alright Allen, there's no reason to cry." Lyssa gave him a comforting squeeze and gently wiped a tear from his cheek. She knew that her little boy was just trying to assert his independence and decided that she would help him out in that regard. Hopefully that would put an end to the furniture climbing. "Tell you what, why don't I put your clothes in the bottom drawer so that you can get them yourself?"

"Yes please!" Allen exclaimed, a smile replacing the frown that he had worn mere seconds before.

Glad that she had succeeded in cheering him up Lyssa placed the child back down on his own two feet. "I'll do that later today for you," she said as she walked back over to the dresser. Closing all of the drawers save for the top one the young mother quickly located some clothing for her son, which she offered to Allen with a warm smile. "Why don't you get dressed and then we'll go downstairs for breakfast?"

"'Kay!'

That sounded like a great idea to Allen and the child quickly took the clothes that his mother was offering to him. Shedding his pajamas Allen was dressed in record time, offering his mother a winning smile as he held his hand out to her.

"Come on then," Lyssa said, taking the tiny hand into her own and giving it a squeeze. "Let's not deprive a growing boy of nourishment any longer."

Allen wasn't exactly sure what she meant but it didn't matter. Giggling in delight he skipped along at her side.

* * *

After breakfast, as Allen was once again wandering lost in the halls of the mansion, he was quickly approached by his cousin. A glint appeared in her green eyes as she caught sight of the boy, a smile spreading across her face. Sneaking up behind the little boy Chelsea seized him by the arm before he even had the chance to register the fact that she was following him. The brown haired boy gave a little squeak of dismay at the same time that his cousin gave a whoop of victory.

"I finally caught you!" Chelsea sang out as she began leading the child back down the corridor toward her bedroom. It had taken two days but she had finally managed to capture her unwilling playmate. "And now we're going to have some fun Allen!"

"Don' wanna," Allen protested, dragging his feet and making it as difficult for her as he could.

But Chelsea remained undeterred. She had worked too hard and planned too long to let him escape now. "Don't worry Allen," she cajoled, continuing on her way down the hallway despite the protests of the younger child. "I promise that it's going to be fun."

"Not fun," Allen whined, not ceasing in his efforts to regain his freedom. "Not fun, not fun, not fun!"

Far from being put off by Allen's whining and reluctance to play her game it only made Chelsea all the more determined. She'd been wanting to play this game since yesterday and wasn't going to allow anything else to stop her.

Not even her reluctant playmate.

* * *

Mana was sitting in the parlor, with Callista and Lyssa, when he heard the sound of someone banging on the door, almost as though they were attempting to knock it from it's hinges. Despite the fact that there was a doorbell, which of course instantly told Mana exactly who his visitor was.

"Excuse me," he said to the two ladies as he got to his feet. Striding from the parlor it wasn't long before the young man reached the front door, reaching out and grasping the handle just as the person on the other side once again pounded on the wood. Pulling Mana opened the door so fast that the red haired man on the other side almost tumbled into the foyer.

"What the hell Walker?" Cross snarled as he regained his balance, a split second before face planting in front of the younger man.

"I don't even want to hear it," Mana said in a calm tone, not even the slightest bit intimidated by his brother in law. "If you hadn't been assaulting my front door then that wouldn't have happened so it's your own fault. For the life of me I can't figure out why you can't just use the doorbell like everyone else…"

Cross merely scowled so Mana decided to just let the matter drop. Stepping aside he gestured for the Exorcist to enter the mansion. Muttering darkly to himself Cross stepped inside, followed a short distance behind by his wife Maria and their son. Without so much as a word to his host Cross strode down the hallway, presumably in the direction of the parlor.

"Hello Maria, Trace," Mana said politely as they entered the house, having been left behind by the patriarch of their family.

"Good morning Mana," Maria said, offering him a smile. "I'm really sorry about that, he's just in a rather foul mood today."

It was on the tip of Mana's tongue to ask how exactly this was different from every other day but he held himself in check. Instead of uttering the smart aleck comment that had appeared in his mind the young man turned to the red haired youth who had brought up the tail end of the group. "I think that Chelsea and Allen are upstairs in her room if you'd like to go up."

Trace nodded. "Thank you Mr. Walker."

After the teen had departed Mana turned back to Maria, gesturing in the direction of the parlor. "Shall we?"

With a nod Maria fell into step behind Mana and together the two of them made their way to the parlor. Just in time to hear Cross exclaim, "What the hell is SHE doing here?"

Having no need to ask exactly who it was that Cross was yelling about Mana calmly entered the room and stood facing the red head. "Lyssa is going to be staying here for awhile… she's having a baby and neither Nicholas nor myself thought that it was a good idea for her and little Allen to be on their own."

Cross nearly choked as he heard these words, his one visible red eye darting back over to the brown haired young woman who was sitting beside his sister. The wife of that arrogant Noah brat. "You mean that brat is actually going to have ANOTHER kid?" His voice was laced with incredulity and for a brief moment all he could do was stare. He had been shocked when Mana had told him that a member of the Clan of Noah was actually married with a child and now that shock had just doubled.

"That is correct," Lyssa replied calmly, choosing to ignore the outburst. She'd had enough dealings with the Exorcist to know that this was just the way that he was. However he look in her brown eyes practically dared him to say something further about her family, promising that he would regret it should he choose to do so.

For a moment Cross seemed to debate his next course of action but in the end shrugged off the entire matter. Turning back to Mana he cleared his throat before saying gruffly, "We have business to attend to."

"Right," Mana said.

* * *

Having made his way upstairs Trace expertly navigated his way to Chelsea's room. Having been to the mansion more times than he could count it was no trouble at all for the red head to find his way about, despite the building's many rooms. Reaching out with one hand he quietly knocked on the door, showing the fact that he possessed more manners than his father. "Chelsea…" he called out in a moderate voice. "It's Trace."

"Come in!" a familiar voice called out in a sing songy voice.

Vaguely wondering what had put Chelsea into such a good mood Trace grasped the doorknob and let himself into the girl's room. Glancing around Trace soon saw Chelsea and her young cousin seated at a small, child-sized table. But that wasn't as shocking as the outfit that Allen was wearing. The little brown haired boy was looking absolutely miserable and was wearing a frilly white dress over his regular, every day clothes. Someone had even tied white ribbons in his somewhat shaggy hair.

Fighting hard to control the raucous laughter that wanted to burst forth at the sight, Trace slowly made his way across the room. "What have you done to the poor boy Chelsea?" the red head asked, putting special emphasis on the word 'boy' because his cousin seemed to have forgotten that Allen was in fact not a little girl.

"We're having a tea party!" Chelsea replied happily, turning her attention toward Trace.

Which gave Allen the opportunity that he had been waiting for. Jumping to his feet the little boy dashed across the room, wanting nothing more than to escape this torment by any means possible.

"Allen," Chelsea whined as her cousin ran toward the door.

"Hold it there kiddo," Trace said, capturing the smaller boy before he had the chance to make it to the door. Gripping Allen around the waist, Trace held him a few feet off the ground. Allen struggled against the older boy's hold but was no match for him. After a few moments he simply gave up, hanging limply in Trace's arms.

"Thank you so much Trace," Chelsea beamed, happy that her playmate hadn't escaped.

"Don't thank me just yet," Trace said in a quiet voice, placing Allen down on his own two feet and helping the child remove the dress that he was wearing. "Why in the world would you force him to wear something like this?" he questioned, holding up the garment in question.

"Because he's just so adorable," the young girl said in her own defense, a slight pout forming on her lips as Trace held up the dress. "And I thought that he would be even cuter in a dress."

"But he didn't like it," Trace continued, tossing the dress onto Chelsea's bed, where it was soon forgotten.

"Don' like," Allen added, staring at Chelsea through indignant gray eyes.

For a moment it appeared as though Chelsea was going to further argue but then she abruptly turned her emerald green eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry Allen… it's just that I hardly ever have anyone to play with."

"We should find a game that's suitable for everyone," Trace suggested, seeking to defuse this situation. Because, despite Chelsea's apology, little Allen still didn't look overly happy.

"I'm sure that we can come up with something," Trace said, finding it odd that he of all people was seeking to place peacemaker.

"Alright then," Chelsea said, before turning to her cousin. It seemed to her that she should seek his approval before agreeing to anything, especially after the incident with the dress. It might take awhile for him to forgive her for that. "Is that alright with you Allen?"

The little boy nodded, looking somewhat appeased by the suggestion.

"It's decided then," Trace said, turning and making his way back over to the door. Followed closely behind by the two younger children.

* * *

Several hours had passed, without so much as a sound from the three children who were in the house. This fact was somewhat worrisome to the women of the group and together they decided that it would probably be a good idea to track down their children.

Both to make certain that they were all okay as well as to determine whether or not anything had been destroyed.

"I really don't like it when things are this quiet," Maria commented as the three women went in search of their offspring. "At least not when I know that the children are around."

"I have to agree with you on that point," Callista said, nodding her head in agreement. The three children that they were searching for were all good children but could be a bit rambunctious at times. Especially when they got together. Turning toward the youngest member of their group Callista smiled. "And I hope that they aren't corrupting little Allen or anything like that."

Lyssa merely smiled. "Oh don't let Allen's innocence looks fool you. He has his mischievous side just like the other two… he is his father's son after all."

After searching through several rooms of the house Lyssa just happened to look out one of the second story windows. That's when she spotted the trio of children out in the back yard, seemingly playing some sort of game. "I found them," she called out to the other women, who were searching various rooms a short distance away.

A few minutes passed before Callista and Maria rejoined her, gazing out the window at the children.

"They seem to be having fun," Maria said, chucking as she watched Allen attempt to tackle her own son. It was reminiscent of David versus Goliath and she couldn't help but laugh at their antics. "But we should probably go and check on them anyway. Besides I'm not really ready to go back and listen to the two men argue."

"I second that," Callista said, nodding her head in approval. Shaking her head she thought about the two men whom they had left in the parlor. "For the life of me I'll never understand why these meetings always end in an argument."

"Just be grateful that Nicholas isn't here," Lyssa added quietly, picturing her husband in her mind's eye. She loved him with all of her heart but there were times when she wanted nothing more than to smack him in the back of the head. Probably in an attempt to knock some sense into him. "Or else it would escalate into a full blown fight and not just a verbal disagreement."

"You have a point," both Callista and Maria conceded.

Chuckling softly to herself Lyssa led the way back downstairs and then out into the back yard. It appeared as though the children were playing some kind of ballgame, but it wasn't immediately recognizable to the women. In fact it almost appeared as though they had invented their own game.

However Lyssa immediately lost interest in identifying the game that they were playing when she got a close up look at her son. "Allen," she called out to him, gazing at the little boy with her head tilted slightly to the side in a quizzical fashion.

Halting in his game the child turned to his mother. "Yes?" he questioned.

"Who in the world put those ribbons in your hair son?" Lyssa asked, trying her best not to laugh at the child.

Allen's gray eyes widened in horror as he realized that he had completely forgotten about the white ribbons that Chelsea had tied in his hair. Reaching up he frantically tried to grab them, wanting rid of them as soon as possible.

Stepping over to the younger male Trace helped him with the ribbons, smirking slightly as he did so. "Guess those were the remnants of his party attire," the red head couldn't help but say as he untied the bows. Once he had finished Trace handed the ribbons to Allen, who scowled and let them flutter to the ground.

"S'not funny," Allen said indignantly, gazing around at all of the amused faces that seemed to surround him.

"Oh well Allen," Chelsea said with a shrug, having wondered how long it would take the boy to realize that he was still wearing the ribbons in his brown hair. "You win some, you lose some."

A/N - For those of you who wanted to see Allen in a dress, this chapter is for you. Now I have to come up with a way for the little boy to get his revenge. As always, hope that you enjoyed, please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	8. Cravings

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Eight - Cravings

It had taken some time, several months to be precise, but Lyssa and her son had finally adjusted to living with Mana and his family. It had taken some getting used to since Lyssa was accustomed to having no company save for her small son. Granted the large manor house where they were now staying was so large that they could avoid running into the others if they so chose but it still wasn't the same as living in their own home. Thankfully for Allen his cousin had ceased to give him a hard time after the incident with the dress and now the two of them spent most of their time playing together, either in one of their rooms or outside in the large yard.

* * *

Allen and Chelsea were sitting in the center of the floor in the large foyer, playing some sort of made up game using a pair of dice, when they heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door.

Loudly.

"That's Uncle Cross!" Chelsea exclaimed brightly, jumping to her feet and rushing to open the door. Having heard it so much she would know that particular knock anywhere. Only Cross knocked on the door as though he were attempting to break it from it's hinges.

Allen merely stared from his spot in the floor as Chelsea opened the door to reveal not only Cross but the rest of his family as well. This was somewhat unexpected but a welcome development none the less. The young girl couldn't help but offer Trace a smile as he stepped into the manor behind his parents. Cross as usual looked, well, cross and it was obvious by his demeanor that he didn't really want to be here at the moment.

Which begged an answer to the question of why exactly he was here.

"Is that you Cross?" Mana called out in a jovial voice from the hallway, entering the foyer a moment after speaking and twitching a smile. It appeared as though he, too, was more than a little familiar with the red haired man's particular style of knocking. "You really need to learn to knock in a more civilized manner."

"And you really need to stop sending for me without telling me what the hell it is that you want," Cross retorted, his tone one of the utmost annoyance. He was doing absolutely nothing to hide his animosity but Mana merely shrugged it off, completely used to it at this point.

"I needed a favor and was fairly sure that you wouldn't come if you knew what it was ahead of time," Mana said, smirking as his words only made the scowl on Cross' face deepen. He had known this would happen but it was a mute point now that the man and his family were already here.

"And what makes you think I'll stick around once I find out?" Cross challenged, arching one brow as he gazed at his brother in law in defiance.

"Because Maria knew about the favor ahead of time and she guaranteed me that you would," Mana replied smugly, inclining his head to the blond woman who was standing behind and just to the right of her red haired husband.

"What?" Cross snarled.

"Don't be like that," Maria said, reaching out and patting her husband on the arm. She offered him a placating smile, despite the fact that the look in her blue eyes was determined. She wasn't going to allow him to argue with the decision that she had made but would prefer it if he agreed to cooperate of his own volition. "Mana and Calli are going out for the weekend, to celebrate their anniversary and have some alone time together, and he wanted us to stay here with Lyssa and the children. To make sure that everything's alright."

"Why the hell do we have to be here if that brat's wife is staying behind?" Cross demanded, not seeing the logic behind this. How many baby-sitters could two children possibly require?

"Because Lyssa is pregnant," Maria explained, speaking as though she were explaining something to a small child. Or else a mentally challenged adult. "And she shouldn't be left alone, especially not with three children."

"Well if we hadn't shown up she would have only had two," Cross pointed out, a hint of stubbornness contained within his voice. Though it would only be perceptible if you knew the man extremely well. Which of course meant that both Maria and Mana picked up on it.

Maria opened her mouth, as though to say something further to her disagreeable husband, but she stopped short as Allen got to his feet. The small child walked over to the spot where the group was standing and, after studying Cross for a moment, he approached the man.

Recalling the first interaction that he'd had with this child of that Noah brat, Cross eyed the brown haired little boy warily. He vividly remembered the feeling of that kid's foot colliding with his shins and would be damned if he was going to allow that to happen again.

"Allen…" Mana said, thinking along the same lines as Cross as he watched his nephew approach the man.

Allen offered his uncle a smile but didn't halt his approach. When he was standing directly in front of the red haired man Allen reached out and grasped Cross' hand, holding it with his own, much smaller one. "Come play," he coaxed, pulling on the man's hand and smiling up at him with a hopeful expression on his face.

For a moment all Cross could do was stare down at the small boy, a shocked expression on his face.

Allen stood patiently for all of five seconds, a long time in the eyes of an impatient and hyperactive child, before he once again began pulling on the man's hand. "Come play," he repeated, thinking that perhaps the red haired man hadn't heard his words the first time. Tightening his grip on the man's huge hand the small child continued to pull on it insistently, demanding attention from a man who didn't want to give it.

"Find someone else to torment," Cross finally said, having recovered from his surprise. He pulled his hand free from Allen's grip, his one eyed gaze never leaving the child. "I don't have time for this."

Allen's face fell as the man pulled his hand free and took a couple of steps away from him, tears appearing in his smoky gray eyes.

"C'mon Allen," Chelsea said, walking over to the little boy and taking him by the hand. She had seen the look on his face and felt sorry for him because her uncle had decided to be disagreeable. "We'll go and find something really fun to do… Uncle Cross is just being a meany."

Allen nodded and followed along behind as Chelsea led him from the room, though he couldn't help but glance back at Cross as they departed.

Glaring at her husband through narrowed blue eyes Maria slapped him on the bicep. "Would it have killed you to play with the child?" she demanded, not overly pleased with the fact that he had reduced a three year old to tears over something so stupid.

"Possibly," Cross retorted, eyeing his wife over his shoulder. "You do know whose kid he is right?"

Maria slapped him again. "That doesn't have anything to do with it."

"What's going on?" a soft voice called out, joining the conversation. The group in the foyer glanced over to the doorway that led to the parlor, their gazes simultaneously falling on Lyssa, now obviously pregnant. One hand was held gently on her stomach as she looked on the group in question.

"Nothing of any great importance," Mana replied, not willing to start a fight between Cross and his pregnant sister in law. And he had the feeling that Lyssa would be ready to fight if he told her that Cross had nearly caused her young son to cry. "At any rate, shouldn't you be resting Lyssa?"

"I'm tired of resting," Lyssa snapped, her eyes flashing for the briefest of moments before she returned to her normal, soft spoken, self. "Sorry," she murmured, looking somewhat embarrassed by her little outburst. "Hormones will make you say any manner of thing… and there isn't really any way to turn it off."

Moving away from her husband Maria came to stand beside Lyssa, placing a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "Don't worry about it sweetie, we all understand."

Quite frankly the looks on the faces of the two men made it plain that they didn't understand but for once both had the good sense not to say anything. It was bad enough to have one woman angry at you but downright suicidal to upset two of them, especially when one of them was pregnant.

Ignoring the expressions on their faces Maria turned her attention toward Mana. "You and Calli should be going…" The pause at the end of this statement, as well as the look that the blond woman tossed his way, gave hint to the rest of the statement; the part that remained unspoken.

While you still can.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to this," Mana said, more to Maria than to Cross since the red head still looked murderous over the situation. Then, before anything bad happened to ruin his plans, the brown haired man made a hasty exit.

* * *

Within the hour Mana and his wife had departed, kissing their daughter and promising that they would bring something back from their trip for all three of the children. This left Cross to deal with not only his wife and son but also the pregnant wife of the Noah brat, the Noah brat's kid, and his trouble-making young niece.

"Give me a pack of bloodthirsty Akuma any day," he muttered to himself as he watched his sister and his brother in law depart.

"What was that?" Maria and Lyssa asked simultaneously, both gazing at Cross in confusion. They had heard him speak but hadn't been able to pick up on what the exact words were.

"Nothing," Cross said irritably.

"Said, gimme pack of bloodt'irsty 'kuma any day," Allen stated, his gray eyes locked onto the man. Almost as though this was his revenge for the fact that Cross had refused to play with him earlier.

"Why you little…" Cross growled, gazing at the child.

"I would advise you not to finish that statement," Lyssa said, her eyes flashing in much the same way that they had earlier. Though this could be attributed more to maternal instincts than to hormones.

Cross opened his mouth, preparing for further retort, but paused as Maria gave him 'the look'. Having been married for several years Cross was very familiar with 'the look' and knew that it was in his best interests to keep him mouth shut lest he manage to get himself into more trouble than he was already in. The red haired Exorcist General wasn't afraid of many things but his wife when angry was one of them.

"Allen, sweetie, why don't you go and play?" Lyssa said, offering her young son a smile.

"'Kay," the brown haired boy said, leaping to his feet. He left the parlor, followed closely behind by the other two children. Chelsea and Trace both seemed to have decided that they wanted to be somewhere else and trailed along behind Allen without so much as a word.

"I think I'm going to go and lie down for a little while," Lyssa said, getting to her feet and making her way from the room. Slowly.

Once the younger woman was out of the room Maria turned her full attention to her husband, who was sitting beside her on the sofa. Reaching out she gripped his thigh with one hand, giving it a firm squeeze in order to gain his attention. "You're going to behave yourself from now on Cross Marian or I swear you aren't getting any alcohol… or anything else… for a month."

Cross blanched at this threat, fully aware of what the something else that she spoke of was. He didn't even like the thoughts of that prospect and resolved to play nice, or at least as nicely as he could, until Mana and Callista returned. "Fine," he huffed.

Maria offered him a smile. "I knew you'd see it my way."

As if he'd had a choice in the matter.

* * *

The remainder of the day passed by without incident, with the children playing in one of the upstairs room and Lyssa napping in her own room. Cross was beginning to think that perhaps this wouldn't be so bad as he sat in the parlor with his wife. It wasn't really all that different from their own home after all, aside from the fact that it was much larger. All this changed however as Lyssa once again entered the room, looking a little bit disappointed.

"Something the matter Lyssa dear?" Maria asked as the younger woman eased herself into one of the cushy chairs that were positioned to the side of the sofa.

Lyssa hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'm craving fruit but there isn't any in the kitchen… at least not that I could find." The disappointment was audible in her voice and it made the blond woman feel really bad for her.

"Don't worry," Maria said, offering Lyssa a smile as she turned her attention to her husband. "Cross will go and get some fruit for you."

"The hell," Cross exclaimed.

"Now honey," Maria said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "You remember that little talk we had right?"

Cross' one visible eye widened in horror before he banished this emotion and turned toward Lyssa. "What kind of fruit do you want?"

Lyssa placed a finger to her bottom lip in thought. "Some apples would be nice, maybe an orange, and, ooh, watermelon."

"How am I supposed to find all of this?" Cross demanded, trying his best to keep the irritation out of his voice. Though of course he failed abysmally.

"I'm sure you'll manage," Maria said, offering him a smile.

For a moment Cross looked as though he wanted to say something else but, after a moment of contemplation, thought better of the idea. Getting to his feet he left the parlor without so much as a word to either of the two women.

"Is he upset?" Lyssa questioned once the man had left the room. "I didn't mean to make him angry or anything."

Maria shook her head, a small smile gracing her lips as she thought of her husband. He hadn't even grumbled when she'd sent him out on errands during her own pregnancy so it really wasn't anything all that unusual. He was just disagreeable by nature. "Don't worry about it, that's just his natural mood."

"Alright," Lyssa murmured.

* * *

"Can't believe that I have to fucking do this," Cross growled to himself as he traveled down the dirt path that led to the nearest town. Dusk was rapidly approaching and it would be dark before he managed to reach the town, which meant that he would have a difficult time finding anyone selling fruit. "I'm going to strangle Mana the next time that I see him… and I'm gonna kill the Musician for good measure."

After all it was his pregnant wife that he was fetching fruit for in the first place. A fact that only caused his irritation to mount to a barely controllable level.

"Look," a voice suddenly called out, interrupting Cross' ranting and causing the red haired man's head to whip around in search of the owner of the voice. "It'ssss an Exorcisssst."

Cross' searching gaze fell upon an Akuma, with a body that resembled something of a mechanical snake. It was obvious that this particular Akuma was a level two but that didn't dissuade the Exorcist in the slightest. In fact he was actually looking forward to the opportunity to take out some pent up frustrations on the hapless minion of the Earl. "You picked the wrong time to fuck with me you bastard," Cross snarled as he pulled Judgment from the holster that he wore at his side.

"I don't think ssssso Exorcisssst," the serpent hissed as several other Akuma emerged from the trees to stand around it.

Cross scoffed at the fact that the level two thought that the arrival of his friends was going to make a difference in the outcome of this battle. "That's proof positive of why idiots shouldn't think," he taunted as he leveled the firearm at the group of Akuma.

"Attack!" the apparent leader of the group ordered.

The mindless, lower level, Akuma rushed forward to do the bidding of their leader. Unfortunately for them all the level two had done was order them to their deaths. Pulling the trigger of Judgment in rapid succession, Cross watched as the Akuma exploded one after another.

Showering mechanical pieces over both him and the level two.

"You're going to pay for that you damn Exorcisssst!" the level two screamed, his eyes narrowing to mere slits as he gazed at the red haired man. He was enraged over the loss of his comrades and wanted the blood of the Exorcist in retribution.

"And you're still an idiot," Cross said before once again pulling the trigger of Judgment several times. More than one bullet was unnecessary, since they never missed their intended targets, but Cross was angry and needed a way to vent. So he opted for over kill in this particular situation, just to make himself feel better.

The Akuma dodged the bullets before turning a smug expression to Cross, seeming to taunt the man.

Cross merely returned the smug look. "Die," he growled as the bullets circled around and struck the level two in the back, causing the minion of the Earl to explode.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to get rid of me you fat bastard!" Cross screamed at the sky before holstering his weapon and continuing on his way.

He felt a small degree better after the encounter with the Akuma, poor excuse for a battle though it had been. Some of his frustrations now vented he could return to the mission that he had been given by the two women with slightly less irritation. He still wasn't happy with the trek in search of fruit for the Noah's pregnant wife but much of his anger had been taken out on the Akuma so he could deal with it.

* * *

"I think he may have gotten lost," Maria commented as she sat in the parlor with Lyssa. Darkness had descended, forcing the two women to light the gas lamps in order to see the books that they both held open in front of them.

Lyssa opened her mouth to comment but paused as she heard the sound of the front door banging open. "That sounds like him now."

"Indeed it does," Maria said with a smile.

A few moments passed and then Cross entered the room, a large watermelon carried under one arm and a bag of other fruit held in his other hand. "Here's your damn fruit," he growled, his one visible red eye focusing on Lyssa as he spoke.

The young woman looked remorseful while Maria burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

"What the hell could possibly be funny?" Cross demanded, not liking the fact that his wife was laughing at him… or for that matter the look on Lyssa's face.

"I'm so sorry," Lyssa said, a blush rising on her face and only serving to make her look even more guilty than before.

"What the hell?" Cross growled.

"I was going through the icebox," Maria said, a smile plastered on her face. "looking for something to feed the children… when I found a bowl of sliced fruit."

"I swear I didn't know it was there," Lyssa said, her voice quiet as she gazed up at the man, waiting for his outburst.

Because she knew that it was coming, how could it not after that?

For a moment all Cross could do was stare. Then he calmly turned around and left the room, the fruit that he had been sent to retrieve still in tow.

"Now I know I've made him mad," Lyssa said as she stared after Cross, sounding slightly forlorn.

"He'll be alright," Maria assured the younger woman, the smile still firmly in place. "The trip didn't harm him any and you'll have fruit the next time that you're craving it."

Lyssa looked thoughtful for a moment. "Only now I want ice cream…"

The smile on Maria's face widened as she called out, "CROSS!"

A/N - End of another chapter and I think that Cross might be just the tiniest bit annoyed. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	9. Harmony

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM.

Chapter Nine - Harmony

The sun was shining in through the curtains in Allen's room and yet the child still hadn't stirred. The covers were pulled up over his head and the only thing visible was his unruly brown hair, several locks of which were poking out from beneath the blankets. The sound of the door opening didn't disturb the child and Nicholas smiled as he made his way over to the bed where his son was sleeping. Sitting down on the edge of the bed the mahogany haired Noah gently pulled Allen into his arms, the smile on his face widening as a pair of inquisitive gray eyes rose to meet his own, identical ones.

"Father!" the boy exclaimed, instantly wide awake. The boy wiggled his way around so that he was facing his father, a wide smile spreading across his face. "What you doin' here?"

"Your Uncle Mana sent for me," Nicholas replied, his voice quiet as he spoke to his son. He had actually been at the manor for several hours but hadn't wanted to disturb his child. He had peeked into the room once but that was the extent of it.

"Why?" the brown haired child persisted, climbing around so that he was clinging to his father's back. It had been a couple of weeks since he had seen the man and needless to say Allen was happy to have him back.

Realizing that the inquisitive boy wasn't going to be content until he knew exactly what had brought his father to the mansion Nicholas took a deep breath. "Your mother went into labor this morning."

Allen tilted his head slightly to the side, confusion etched all over his face. He had no idea what his father was talking about but could tell by the tone of the man's voice that it was something important. Which only served to further increase his curiosity over the subject. "What that mean?"

Nicholas offered his son a smile as he wrestled the child back into his arms. Leaning forward he placed his chin on top of Allen's soft hair, realizing as he did so that he wouldn't be given leave to hold this position for long. "It means that you're going to be a big brother today little man."

"The baby coming?" Allen questioned, falling still as he gazed up at his father. He knew about the baby that his mother had said was growing inside her, the baby that would be his little brother or sister, but what he hadn't known was when it was going to make an appearance.

Nicholas nodded, the small smile still in position on his face. "The baby is coming… so I need you to be extra good today and not get into anyone's way alright Allen?"

"I be good," Allen said, offering his father a smile.

"That's my boy," the Noah said, getting to his feet and giving Allen a little toss into the air. The child squealed in delight before wrapping his arms around his father's neck in a tight embrace. "Let's get you dressed and then we'll go downstairs for breakfast…" Having said this Nicholas made his way to the dresser, selecting clothes for Allen to wear before quickly helping the child to get dressed. He was in a bit of a hurry, which was why he didn't allow Allen to dress himself. It was only a matter of time before the labor intensified to the point where Lyssa's screams would be audible to all those in the house and he didn't want his son subjected to that. It would only concern the child to hear his mother in such obvious distress so Nicholas planned to get the child dressed and fed and then hand him over to Mana for the day.

Nicholas smirked as he thought of his older brother fending off the three children for the day. After all Cross and Maria had arrived around the same time that he had and the Exorcist's wife, along with Callista, were attending to Lyssa. Since Nicholas planned to be there for his wife as she brought their second child into the world, and Cross was currently hiding somewhere and probably inebriated, that left Mana as the designated babysitter for the day.

"Brea'fast…"

Nicholas was jarred from his thoughts by the rather insistent voice of his young son and he couldn't help but smile as he gazed down at Allen. "Alright, alright… I get the message." Scooping the boy up into his arms once more the young Noah left the room and made his way downstairs to the dining room. The other two children, along with Mana, were already there and Chelsea offered her cousin a bright smile as Nicholas placed the child in one of the chairs.

"Morning Allen," the young girl sang out, seemingly in a very good mood despite the early hour. "There's gonna be a baby today… I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl."

"Girl," Allen stated calmly, still maintaining that his new sibling was going to be a sister.

"That'd be nice," Chelsea said, sounding almost wistful. There was a hopeful look in her vibrant green eyes as she thought about the possibility of having a girl around to play with… someone she could dress in pretty clothes without having to chase them down first. "I'm surrounded by boys."

"Hey," Trace said, glancing up and eyeing the girl through vivid blue eyes. "There's nothing wrong with boys, right Allen?" The younger boy seemed to debate this question for a couple of moments before shaking his head adamantly. "Nope."

"You won't play dress-up," Chelsea challenged, defying them to come up with a valid excuse for this particular shortcoming.

Allen made a face at the mention of this game, causing Chelsea, Trace and Mana to simultaneously begin laughing. Nicholas was the only one who didn't, blinking in confusion. He hadn't been around for that and was woefully out of the loop.

"What's so funny?" the young Noah questioned, his gray eyes shifting from his son to his brother as he sought an explanation.

"Not funny," Allen said adamantly, scowl resolutely on his face.

"I'll fill you in later little brother," Mana said, taking note of the fact that his young nephew was obviously annoyed. He was dying to tell Nicholas the story but realized that by doing so he would only add fuel to the proverbial fire.

"Alright," Nicholas said, nodding his head in agreement. He was curious about what had happened but knew that it would simply have to wait.

"Anyway you should probably go and check on Lyssa," Mana said, offering his brother a smile. He could tell that Nicholas was excited about the new addition to his family, as well as concerned for his wife. The man had felt the same way when his daughter had been born so he completely understood. "I'll take care of Allen so don't worry."

"Alright," Nicholas said with a nod, walking over to stand behind the chair that his son was sitting in. leaning forward he placed a kiss on the child's head before turning to leave the room. "Now Allen, you behave for your Uncle Mana alright?"

"'Kay!" Allen exclaimed, turning in his seat and offering his father a wave.

Nicholas waved back before stepping out of the door.

"Alright guys," Mana said once his brother was out of the room. "Hurry and finish your breakfast and then we'll all go outside and have some fun."

"What are we going to do Father?" Chelsea questioned, turning questioning green eyes toward the man. She was nearly finished with her breakfast and was curious about what Mana had in store for them. "What, what, what?"

"You'll find out once everyone has finished," Mana said, smiling as his gaze surveyed the group of children. Thus far Allen was the only one who had finished his meal, the little boy gazing at his uncle through wide gray eyes. "So if you're curious then you should hurry up."

"That's just mean," Chelsea said, picking up her fork and continuing to eat.

"I agree," Trace seconded.

Mana chuckled lightly, more than a little amused by the looks of indignation that the two older children wore. Perhaps it was a little cruel of him to merely hint at the fact that they were going to do something fun but he had found himself unable to resist.

Not surprising this served to hurry them along and, within the span of ten minutes, all three children were finished with their breakfast. Getting to his feet Mana gestured toward the door that led from the dining room. "Come on… I promised that we'd have fun so it would look really bad if I didn't follow through."

Walking forward Mana seized Allen by the hand and led him along while the others fell into step behind him. The man led the way out of the manor and down the path that led to the stables. "How do you guys feel about going horseback riding?" he asked with a smile, knowing that Chelsea would be all for it even if neither of the other two were. The girl never missed an opportunity to ride.

"Great idea!" Chelsea exclaimed excitedly, positively beaming with happiness.

"That sounds like a good idea," Trace added, a little more subdued than the girl who was standing beside him. Being older, as well as a teenager, the red haired boy usually tried to act a little more dignified.

Allen gazed up at his uncle. "I don' know how…"

"That's alright Allen ma'boy," Mana said, leaning forward and scooping the little boy up into his arms. He gave the child a hug before reaching out and sliding the stable door open. "You can ride with me."

As the group stepped inside the stables several horses stuck their heads over the half doors of their stalls, whinnying a greeting. "Trace," Mana said, placing Allen on the ground beside the older boy. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Allen while I tack up the horses?"

"Not at all," Trace said, taking the little boy by the hand. He didn't want to risk Allen wandering off and getting kicked by a horse so the red head decided that it would probably be a good idea to keep a tight hold on the child's hand.

"Thank you," Mana said.

Before long Mana had two horses saddled and ready to go, as well as Chelsea's pony. Handing the reins of a bay mare to Trace, Mana once again scooped Allen up into his arms. The group made their way out to the stable yard, where Trace helped Chelsea into the saddle of her black pony before agilely leaping into the saddle of his own horse. Mana offered the two of them a smile before placing Allen in the saddle of the white stallion whose reins he held. The little boy made a soft squeaking noise before burying both hands into the horse's mane, holding on for dear life.

"It's alright Allen," Mana said as he easily swung himself up into the saddle, settling himself behind Allen and looping one arm around the little boy's waist. "I've got you so don't worry kiddo."

Allen relaxed his grip on the stallion's mane as he felt Mana's arm wrap around his waist. He felt more confident now that his uncle was behind him and a smile slowly spread across his face as Mana directed the horse to begin walking.

"Father," Chelsea said as she and Trace urged their horses forward. "Can Trace and I trot?"

"That's fine," Mana said, nodding his head. "Just be careful."

"We will," the two of them chorused as they urged their mounts to go at a slightly quicker pace.

* * *

Several hours passed as the group rode around in the paddock that adjoined the stable its self. Mana didn't want to venture further, just incase he were needed at the house, but the children seemed content with the arrangement. Finally Mana turned his horse back in the direction of the gate that led out of the paddock. "Come on guys," he called out to Chelsea and Trace. "Let's head back."

The two children groaned in dismay but obeyed none the less.

Together the group returned to the stable where Mana once again turned Allen over to Trace so that he could take care of the three horses. Then, once that task was complete, they all made their way toward the back yard.

"Stay out here," Mana said to the three children as he made his way toward the mansion. He'd received no word from anyone inside the house so he didn't know the status of the delivery that was taking place inside. "I'll go in and get us all a snack."

"Snack!" Allen exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

"Doesn't really take much to make the little guy happy does it?" Trace commented as he gazed over at Allen.

"Nope," Chelsea replied with a smile. "The quickest way to Allen's heart is definitely through his stomach."

"Is not," Allen snapped indignantly.

Which only made the other two children laugh hysterically.

Upon entering the mansion Mana made his way toward the staircase that led upstairs, wanting to check on Lyssa before getting a snack for the three children who were waiting outside. He came to an abrupt halt however as he met Nicholas halfway up the stairs, the younger man having been traveling in the opposite direction. Mana noted the broad grin on his brother's face and knew that the baby must have arrived while he was out with the children.

"Well?" he prompted.

"Allen was right," Nicholas said, his voice laced with happiness. "It's a girl."

Reaching out Mana gripped Nicholas by the shoulder, smiling at his brother. "Congratulations Nicky."

"Thank you," Nicholas said quietly. "I was just on my way out to find you and the children… I want to take Allen up to meet his new little sister."

"They're all out in the backyard," Mana said, turning around and descending the stairs at Nicholas' side. "Come on and you can give them the good news… Chelsea's going to be thrilled that her new cousin is a little girl."

Nicholas smiled as he and his brother made their way out to the backyard, where three sets of eyes focused on them immediately. Leaping to his feet Allen ran over to his father, wrapping his arms around the man's legs. "Where's my snack?" the child questioned as he gazed up at the two adults.

Mana laughed. "Should have known that would be his main concern."

"You'll get your snack in a little bit," Nicholas promised as he leaned forward and picked up his little boy. Holding the child close Nicholas turned his gray eyes toward Allen, the smile still on his face. "I came to tell you something."

"What?" Allen asked solemnly.

"You've got a little sister," Nicholas said, watching his son closely so that he could gauge Allen's reaction to this news. At first the little boy just blinked a couple of times but then a smile began to slowly spread across his face. "Wanna see," he said quietly.

"Alright little man," Nicholas said, giving Allen a squeeze. "We'll go and see your mother and your new little sister."

Allen wrapped his arms around his father's neck and together the two of them made their way inside the manor. Nicholas slowly ascended the stairs, slightly anxious about how this introduction was going to go. It was true that Allen had told both he and Lyssa that he was excited about his new sibling but the fact of the matter was that the little boy had been an only child his entire life so having to share his parents was going to be a new experience for him.

When he reached a door at the end of the upstairs hallway Nicholas knocked softly before opening the door and stepping inside. The room was dimly lit, with only a single gas lamp in a corner bathing the room in a subdued light. "Are you up to some visitors?" Nicholas called out softly, waiting for permission before stepping further into the room.

"Of course," a soft voice called out.

Lyssa was lying in a large bed, a small bundle held in her arms, and she smiled as her gaze fell upon her two boys. The young woman appeared tired but unbelievably happy as she held out one hand to the pair of them. Walking over to her bedside Nicholas leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Feeling alright?" he questioned as he straightened back up, Allen still supported by one arm.

"Tired and a little sore," Lyssa replied, motioning for the two of them to sit down on the edge of the bed. "But very happy…" This said the young woman turned her attention to her young son. She gently moved the blanket so that the tiny face of an infant was visible to the other child. "Allen… this is your little sister Harmony."

"Har…mony," the little boy carefully said, making sure that he said it correctly.

"Mhmm," Lyssa said, nodding her head. "What do you think about her?"

Allen gazed at the newborn that his mother was holding, an oddly thoughtful expression on his young face. He seemed to gaze at her for much longer than was necessary before offering his mother a smile. "She cute," he said finally.

"You're going to have to look out for her Allen," Nicholas said as his gaze shifted back and forth between his two children. "You're her big brother so Harmony's going to look up to you."

Reaching out somewhat tentatively Allen touched one of the baby's tiny hands with one of his fingers. Opening her eyes the baby latched onto his finger with her hand, holding it tightly.

Looking on Nicholas and Lyssa smiled in happiness.

A/N - And here is the much anticipated chapter where Allen becomes a big brother. Hope that you enjoyed. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed this story, the reviews are always much appreciated.


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